


Draftbook Drabbles- The Trail/First Term AU

by CMW2



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cyrus Beene - Freeform, Draftbook Drabble Series, F/M, FTGIV lives!, Family Dynamics, First Term, First Time, Fitzgerald Grant - Freeform, Interracial Relationship, Karen Grant - Freeform, Mellie Grant - Freeform, Olitz, Olitz AU, Olitz awesome domesticness, Olitz citrus, Olitz kisses, Olitz tenderness, Olivia Pope - Freeform, Season 1-4 Spoilers and Allusions within, Step Family Dynamics, The Trail, Trumpetnista, mew - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-09-23
Packaged: 2018-03-30 21:30:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3952477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMW2/pseuds/CMW2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Words from the Gladiator in a Hoodie: The Draftbook Drabble project began as a way to brace for impact for the Season 3 finale and then, it became a way to soothe the pain and rage the aforementioned Finale and overall season caused me and others. Since then, it has blossomed into a huge series and I'll be making chapter fics out of the connected one shots to make them easier to find. All works with their individual summaries (and my patented ranting Author's Notes/Episode Reviews) can be found on FFN and on my LiveLoveWRITE Tumblr. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #1 (AU, The Trail, Mellie, Fitz, Olivia, pre-Olitz with a Mellitz Zombie divorce);Rated for language mainly but there's a bit of spice at the end for the Olitz folks back home;2nd in my 2014 SSS Project**

**Disclaimer:"Honestly, it's not mine!"**

 

" **He wants to fuck you** …what, you didn't notice? Bless your little heart, you're oblivious… oh, yeah…I saw it as soon as you came onto the Bus for the first time. Fitzy's got the jungle fever and now… _ **now**_ , he's gonna get just what he wants. He's going to have his tongue between your magical chocolate thighs and he'll finally be rid of me: mean ol' Ice Queen Millicent 'Mellie' Grant… _ **Vaughn**_. I'm gonna be a Vaughn again and all alone in the cold…I don't understand it! The DNA tests came back right! Both of the precious little brats he ached for are _ **his!**_  Andrew won't return my phone calls so I guess he's throwing me aside, too…why is he still even going forward with this…this  _ **divorce?!**_  God, I hate that word…"

"The DNA may have come back in his favor but you still cheated on him, Mellie. You cheated on him with 3 men, including his political blood brother…"

"A-Andrew actually  _ **wanted me!**_  He actually…you don't know what it's like to be with a man who…our fathers merged us, _ **sold**_  us! Fitzgerald never really loved me! He only married me because Big Jerry had him by his oversexed, sensitive little balls! And y'know? He probably cheated on me, too! He's a Grant man and they're  _ **all**_  alike! Don't let him fool you…I can't believe you haven't…he wants you. He wants you  _ **so**_  bad and you want him, too. I _ **know**_ you do…but you haven't… _have you_?"

"If I had, do you honestly think that I'd tell you?"

" _ **Yes!**_ _No…I don't know_ …nobody can really get a read on you, Olivia. You're all locked up tight. The great, brilliant, mysterious, pretty little Olivia Pope…see, that's another reason why Fitzy wants you. Uh-huh…He…he wants to figure you out. You're like a Rubik's Cube with ass for days. He wants to peel back all those walls and layers and see what's inside. He wants to know you…and fuck you. Fuck you hard and deep and good and _ **savage**_ …Andy used to fuck me like that all the time…now, he won't even talk to me…."

"Mellie, if you're not going to stop drinking anytime soon, you should at least get something to eat. What do you want?"

" _I…I…I want some BBQ._  Can you…can you send Ethan or Jeanine or somebody…not you. No, not you…that's not your job. Lotsa stuff that you do around here…you do a lotta thankless shit for this Campaign…for Fitzgerald…you really care. You still know how to care. I don't. Not really…I guess that's reason #800 kabillion why me and Fitzy never really worked. I don't give a fuck and he gives too much of a fuck about everything and one…unless he's staring at your ass. Then, he's got no fucks to give…he really, really wants to fuck you, Liv. I think he wants it more than the White House and the divorce combined. Do…do you wanna fuck him? You can tell me. It's just us girls and it doesn't matter anymore. He can do whatever or whoever he wants, now. I signed the Papers."

"You  _ **did?**_  Just like that?"

"Shocking, huh? You should've seen his eyes, Liv. He looked so…so  _ **relieved**_ …'M surprised that he didn't tell you immediately. You're like Bosom Buddies…so do ya want him or not? It would be pretty great, if you didn't. I mean, why should I be the one hurting? Why should I be the only one all alone? Why should I be suffering while he's in that big White House?"

"He may not get anywhere near it, Mellie. His campaign's in serious trouble. It has been from the start and now, with the divorce…there's never been a single President elected to Office…"

"Between you and Cyrus, mostly you…he'll be fine. He'll be hunky-fuckin'-dory and Langston and Reston will be left in the dust. Man, you're really good at deflecting…it's just a simple yes or no question. Do you want Fitz Grant III inside your cooter or not?"

Loud, frenzied knocking at the hotel room door made Mellie Grant cackle madly and stand up from her claimed spot in front of the full length mirror. After wobbling a bit, she began to pick her way carefully through the mess her room had become. Designer clothing and shoes were thrown everywhere, along with her many pieces of luggage. Looking into the bathroom, Olivia Pope took in the mess there, too. Bathing products, toiletries, and empty soda cans were around the still full and soapy bathtub. The bed she was sitting on was completely messed up, most of the bedding and pillows on the floor. Bonnie Raitt's 'Something To Talk About' kept playing on loop from the knocked over speakers and laptop on her desk. Mellie herself was in a silky tropical print robe and her hair was up in various types and sizes of rollers…how had it come to this?

Olivia had joined the Grant Campaign to turn it around and to do Cyrus Beene a solid. It was supposed to be simple. Well, not really. There was nothing simple about national politics. But, all the emotions, all the drama she felt from both Grants…the feelings that she felt for Fitz…how had she ended up here? All she had wanted was to go to her hotel room and sleep (and dream about a certain Governor's lips) and yet, Mellie had spotted her through her ajar hotel door. She had waved and called for her to come join her Party. In the interest of Optics (and preserving with dignity that hadn't been taken from the other woman already), Olivia had allowed herself to be dragged in and deposited on the bed. Mellie had then poured her a tall glass of clear liquid and Olivia had downed it gamely, causing a drunken cheer from the obivously reeling woman…

"Well, well, well…if it isn't America's favorite RINO Flyboy…what can I do for ya, gov'ner? No, wait! Lemme guess…you're looking for your Livvie! She's right over there, Fitzy. Lookit…and she's got all of her parts, still. Hell, even if I wanted to do somethin' to your little girlfriend, I couldn't. I'm too drunk!", Mellie declared cheerfully before letting out a hearty belch right in his face.

Fitz was still in his gray suit but his tie was gone and his white shirt was unbuttoned to reveal the hollow of his neck and a bit of chest hair. Mmm…Olivia had always had a thing for chest hair. His cerulean slate eyes closed and then rolled after Mellie started cackling again….

"Mel, you need to eat something. What are you even drinking? Is that your daddy's hooch?"

If hooch was another word for alcoholic embalming fluid, he'd be right on the money…

" _ **May-be**_ …I dunno why you look so worried. I can hold my liquor jus' fine and like I said, I'm too drunk to hurt anyone and I wouldn' wanna hurt Liv, anyways. 'S not her fault that you've got a hard on for her. As for food, Liv's gonna have one of the minions running around fetch us some authentic Carolina BBQ. Well, me some. Can you believe that she doesn't like BBQ? I mean…it's BBQ but if you ask me, it's not BBQ she doesn't like, it's Billy-Goat Chambers. Can't blame her…he's  _ **cree-py**_ …come on in and join us! There's plenty of…whoops!"

Olivia jumped and winced at the impact of Mellie falling face first onto the plush black rug at the foot of the bed. Exchanging a concerned glance with Fitz, Olivia climbed out of the bed and knelt down next to the softly crying Southern Belle.

"Mellie? Come on, Mellie…you've got to get up. Fitz, come help me…"

" _ **No!**_ _I don't want his goddamned hands on me! Lemme…lemme stay on the floor. 'S comfy…_ "

"I'm not going to do that, Mellie. Come on…you'll be more comfortable in the bed."

Sniffling, Mellie eased herself into a sitting position and Olivia hoisted her up. The brunette was holding onto her tightly and Olivia let herself drift to the left enough for Mellie to let go and land on the mattress with a soft groan.

"… _you smell really good, 'Livia…like coconuts and sunshine_ …but I guess you already know that huh, Fitzy? You're always so close to her, always following after her like a baby duck with its momma… and she's bein' a baby! She won't tell me if she wants to fuck you! I wanna know just as much as you do…and I hope that she doesn't 'cause you should be hurt and all alone, too! 'S only fair since you're throwin' me out like dirty dishwater…at least you've got better adulterous taste than your damned Daddy…his secretary looked like a horse!"

"Millicent, I'm not sleeping with Olivia and she has absolutely nothing to do with why we're divorcing! You know why we're divorcing so don't you put her in the middle of it!"

"Unh-uh…she  _ **does**_ have somethin' to do wit it, jus' as much as Andy! Jus' because you haven't fucked her yet doesn't mean that you don't have feelings for her, that you don't want her! You give more of a fuck about her in a month then you did about me after a decade and two kids! You're such a bastard!"

"And if you weren't so…"

" _ **Enough!**_  Fitz, go and wait in the hall! Mellie, do you still want some BBQ and if so, where's the money for it?"

" _My purse_ …I think it's in the medicine cabinet."

"Okay. Lay on your side if you feel sleepy."

"Heaven forbid if I choke to death on my own vomit…I actually wouldn't mind it. Get yourself somethin' to eat too, okay? Dealing wit' him, you're gonna need to keep your strength and your ass…it's a great ass. No wonder he wants it…"

Blushing, Olivia hurried into the bathroom and nearly slipped on some of the overflow from the tub. Steadied, she went to the medicine cabinet and brought Mellie's royal blue clutch back out. Mellie was sitting up humming along to the intro, swaying in place.

"Cash or card?"

"Cash. I want some pork ribs, mac and cheese, black eyed peas, greens, and lots of cornbread. A whole pan of it if they've got it…was I right about you and the BBQ thing?"

"You were. I actually love BBQ. I have a weakness for pulled pork.", Olivia confessed with a small shrug.

Mellie giggled and crowed, "I knew it!  _ **Everyone**_  likes BBQ, even if it's just the sauces! Get whatever pulled pork thing you like and make sure the minions don't keep my change, even if it's just a penny. And if you share some with that…that  _ **man**_ , do me a big favor and piss in it, first… _let's give 'em somethin' to talk about…let's give 'em somethin' to talk about…how 'bout_ _ **love**_ _…_ "

As Mellie continued her one woman show, Olivia retreated and shut the door firmly behind her, breathing a jagged sigh of relief.

How had she ended up here?

"Liv, I'm so sorry that you had to see that, hear that…"

"It's fine. I've heard and seen worse. I'm going to send Cyrus up to sit with her and I'll get the food myself. Mellie's actions still affect you right now and I don't want anyone else seeing her like this, not even a glimpse."

She started towards the elevator but Fitz's next words stopped her cold.

"It's not your fault, Olivia. The divorce isn't your fault. It's on me and it's on Mellie. It takes two people to make a relationship work and it also takes two people to fuck it up and we…we never should've gotten married to begin with. We…we both…we did it, Liv. We destroyed our marriage. _ **We**_  fucked it up. Her fucking was literal but I'm not…don't let her, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  **This divorce isn't your fault, Olivia. You haven't done anything wrong at all.** "

But, she wanted to…she wanted him…it was totally inappropriate but she wanted him, both in and out of her bed…Olivia turned around and was unsurprised to see him right behind her.

"She wasn't completely wrong. You do have feelings for me. It's why you tried to fire me."

"…and why I chased after you. Livvie, you don't…if I were you, I'd run. I'd run far and fast away from me. Obviously, I'm not very good at relationships and I don't want you to be broken down like…"

Kissing him was a huge risk. Kissing him was stupid. Kissing him smack dab in the middle of the corridor where anyone could see them (she made a note to get the security footage) was completely idiotic. Kissing a technically still married man, the man of her thoughts and dreams was just… _ **right.**_  God, it was right. The way he felt, the way he tasted, the way he smelled…

Only after air became absolutely mandatory did she pull away and Fitz's face was a near comical blend of shock, desire, pleasure, and dread as he looked at her with wide eyes.

" _ **Livvie.**_ _.."_

_"As far as I'm concerned, Mellie was broken long before she married you. You didn't break her. She's just tired and unwilling to hide it anymore. Your marriage certainly didn't help matters but you are not solely responsible for her…condition. As for me, as for us…I am Olivia Pope. I am a grown woman. I am a Gladiator in a Suit and I don't give up…and_ _**I do not run.** _ _When will your divorce be final?"_

_"…t-two weeks…it's been…our lawyers found a sympathetic judge and while we'll have to slug it out for custody, the divorce itself will be final in two weeks…"_

Olivia kissed him hungrily again and gasped as one of his hands went her gray slack clad behind, squeezing and fondling.  _In Vino Veritas_ , indeed…

_"In two weeks, you're going to invite me to your hotel room and I expect to get very little sleep that night, if I get any all all. Have I made myself clear, Governor Grant?"_

He blinked and then, a slow, sweet, utterly filthy smile curved his lips upwards.

_"Crystal. I look forward to seeing you then, Ms. Pope…_ _**all** _ _of you."_

_"You should."_

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**CMW2/Trumpetnista:Draftbook Drabble #3 (Follow up to DD #1- Fitz, Olivia, Cyrus, Mellitz Zombie divorce final with mentioned established Mew, established Olitz, The Trail, #Hotelgate AKA First Time AU, NSFW)**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #1…**

_Kissing him was a huge risk. Kissing him was stupid. Kissing him smack dab in the middle of the corridor where anyone could see them (she made a note to get the security footage) was completely idiotic. Kissing a technically still married man, the man of her thoughts and dreams was just…_ _**right.** _ _God, it was right. The way he felt, the way he tasted, the way he smelled…_

_Only after air became absolutely mandatory did she pull away and Fitz's face was a near comical blend of shock, desire, pleasure, and dread as he looked at her with wide eyes._

" _ **Livvie.**_ _.."_

_"As far as I'm concerned, Mellie was broken long before she married you. You didn't break her. She's just tired and unwilling to hide it anymore. Your marriage certainly didn't help matters but you are not solely responsible for her…condition. As for me, as for us…I am Olivia Pope. I am a grown woman. I am a Gladiator in a Suit and I don't give up…and_ _**I do not run.** _ _When will your divorce be final?"_

_"…t-two weeks…it's been…our lawyers found a sympathetic judge and while we'll have to slug it out for custody, the divorce itself will be final in two weeks…"_

_Olivia kissed him hungrily again and gasped as one of his hands went her gray slack clad behind, squeezing and fondling._ _In Vino Veritas_ _, indeed…_

_"In two weeks, you're going to invite me to your hotel room and I expect to get very little sleep that night, if I get any at all. Have I made myself clear, Governor Grant?"_

_He blinked and then, a slow, sweet, utterly filthy smile curved his lips upwards._

_"Crystal. I look forward to seeing you then, Ms. Pope…_ _**all** _ _of you."_

_"You should…"_

* * *

**5 Weeks Later…**

"… _ **the divorce between Governor Fitzgerald Grant III and Millicent 'Mellie' Grant nee Vaughn was finalized two weeks ago and it seems that new life has been breathed not only into his Campaign but into the Governor himself…"**_

" _ **The man is acting like he's just gotten paroled, honestly. There have been more pictures of him smiling and laughing in this time than there has been in the last 10 years! I'm still waiting patiently for a cartwheel in a field of flowers photo…"**_

"… _ **approval numbers for Grant have shot up from 32% to 51% He is still behind Sally Langston by 2 points in the quest for the Republican Party Nomination but compared to the numbers before…"**_

"… _ **surprised his children with a visit to their school over the Labor Day weekend…the Governor has petitioned for full custody of both Fitzgerald IV and Karen, which should be…"**_

"… _ **Mellie Vaughn spotted yesterday on a Honolulu beach with Lt. Governor Andrew Nichols. While she said in the paternity suit Governor Grant filed that her time with Nichols was a one-off, the way that he is looking at her suggests otherwise…"**_

"… _ **Former Senator Fitzgerald Grant Jr., more commonly known as 'Big Jerry' issued a written press statement this morning expressing his support of his son's decisive actions…"**_

* * *

 

"How long?"

"Hmm?"

"… _how long have you and Fitz been screwing, Olivia?_ "

Only the fact that they were sitting in a crowded truck stop diner kept Olivia from slugging Cyrus Beene in the jaw or throwing her mug of chamomile tea in the man's shifty yet judgmental face. She knew that Cyrus wasn't stupid. She knew that America wasn't stupid. She and Fitz's friendship and professional relationship had been a topic before. Anyone with working eyes could see the connection and chemistry between them. Of course, some commentators had been snide and there had been innuendos in the early days, especially when someone spoke of how Fitz looked at her during their first meeting. The amount of awe and what she now knew to be hunger instead of anger on his face as she read him for filth in front of that crowd that day never failed to heat her blood…

Mostly, it was people hailing her as the Messiah of the Grant Campaign and as the one to expose Mellie Grant as the lying, adulterous 'Jezebel' that she truly was. It had been an accident, really.

Part of revamping the Campaign was cleaning house and in order to clean house,  _ **everyone**_ had to be vetted and cleared. Any skeletons in Fitz's closet would be buried and burned but everyone else was fair game, even his wife. Especially his wife. After all, she was running for the First Lady and a First Lady had to be of a certain status. Mellie already had many strikes against her. She was unrepentantly privileged and had a way of interacting with people that was blatantly artificial on a good day and just plain stuck up rude on a bad. Not to mention the simple fact that her husband was definitely not in love with her anymore, if he had been to begin with and obviously, she couldn't stand him, either, which absolutely astonished Olivia. Fitz wasn't a perfect man by any means but he seemed to be good husband material. He was definitely good father material. What was the woman's problem?

Olivia had been determined to find out just what the Blueblood Southern Belle was like at the Core…all in the name of the Campaign, of course. It was nothing personal.

The fact that she truly disliked Mellie as not only a person but as the person Fitz had been married to had nothing to do with how thorough she was on the woman's background check.

The fact that she truly disliked Mellie as not only a person but as the person Fitz had been married to had nothing to do with how she had subtly collected hair samples from Karen and Gerry when they were brought to Miami a few weeks ago to join the ones she had already carefully harvested from Mellie and Fitz.

The fact that she truly disliked Mellie as not only a person but as the person Fitz had been ma-  _ **shackled**_  to had nothing to do with how she had contacted Paul Mosley, Andrew Nichols, and Cranston Jones AKA 'the Toe Sucker' and implied that the Grant children may not be Grants, after all. Those implications had turned into urgings to step forward and provide their DNA samples for testing, to come together and own their roles in the breakdown of the Grant marriage.

It was nothing personal.

It was just business.

She was Olivia Pope.

Olivia Pope, the Political Nun, the Apolitical Assassin, the Pope Pistol, the Good Girl, the Fixer.

She would never risk her professional credibility on a personal vendetta against anyone, even if her Gut told her that every suspicion she had about the person she didn't like was true.

At least that had been the case before she had met Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III, anyway…

Mosley had agreed to come forward out a sense of obligation and hope. While he didn't love Mellie, he had always wanted to be a father and he didn't want another man, even a man as good as Fitz, to be raising his children. Jones' motives were much less noble. He wanted revenge. Mellie had broken off their trysts abruptly and very cruelly. He wanted her to feel the hurt and humiliation that she had given to him tenfold, not to mention that he wanted to use what he referred to as his 'magic mouth' to get a leg up into the Adult Entertainment business.

Ew. Just…ew. Absolutely fucking disgusting…

Andrew Nichols came forward because he genuinely loved Mellie (or so he claimed) and he was tired of hiding it, tired of making a fool out of his best friend and political blood brother. He was certain that Gerry wasn't his but Karen…their affair had been going on off and on for years. Initially, it had been an emotional one but around the time Mellie became pregnant for the second time, they had taken the next step forward. Olivia thought that she had played it cool with the man, not betraying any hint of her true feelings but in the end…the Lt. Governor had given her a sickly version of his infamous 'million dollar smile' before saying something that made her heart nearly explode in her chest as she made to leave the man's private office.

" _ **You're gonna make him**_ **so** _ **happy, Olivia. You already do. You should hear the way he talks about you. Liv this and Liv that. He never…he may have a lot of tenderness for Mel but there's no fire there, no spark, no real love between them. But, you're different. Fitz is absolutely nuts for you and I'm glad to see that the feeling's mutual…and that he's got someone who will destroy the world for him just for him**_ **…** "

The DNA samples had been sent to the Lab and the identities of the samples had been 'accidentally' leaked. Through her network of Media contacts, the 3 men had come forward in their own 'breaking news' coverage. Cyrus had been livid. Fitz had been livid and devastated, not because of Mellie's indiscretions but because of the possibility that the children that he had longed for, the children that he loved with all of his heart and soul may not belong to him. Mellie had been livid and tearfully demanded to know who had done it, who had aired her sins so blatantly.

Olivia had made sure that the Leaks could not be traced back to her or any of her associates. It was just bad luck, she said. Terrible luck, since the 3 men were talking loudly and frankly about their dealings with Mellie over the years, almost as long as she and Fitz had been married.

Thankfully, Karen and Gerry were his babies. It would've killed him if they weren't.

In response to the information unearthed and the hurt humiliation inflicted, Fitz filed for a fast tracked divorce. Cyrus had literally spent hours trying to talk him out of it, suggesting everything from marriage counseling to hiring a discreet live in escort to take care of Fitz's 'needs' until the end of his Presidency. When that didn't work, he even had the audacity to put his father on a midnight conference call in an attempt to get Big Jerry to fly in to cull him. Mellie had tried to bank the fires raging against her in the Media at first but she had ended up going into hiding, even though she remained on the Campaign Trail. Olivia had become the delta in the raging river for all of them but with a caveat.

She had bluntly pledged her loyalty to Fitz and put it on the table to both Mellie and the undynamic duo: they could either fall in line or she'd get rid of them, she'd ruin and bury them all. Fitz had already been betrayed and manipulated enough by people who claimed to love him and want the best for him. No more. It was time for change and for them (and anyone else like them) to fade into the background or to get off the stage. No more, goddamn it or she'd make sure that they would pay with interest.

Mellie had put up a token temper tantrum but yielded immediately afterwards before leaving the conference room, knowing that she was out of cards to play. Big Jerry had tried to bluster but she had calmly started listing names of the various women that he had 'cut loose' with over the years, along with their current locations and financial straits, the majority of them dire since half were now retired escorts and/or exotic dancers.

'" _ **Nothing like a tell-all lusty smash to help with the student loans, don't you think, Gerry…do you mind if I call you, Gerry? You don't? Wonderful because I'm going to be around for a long time and I'd like it if we were friends…not nearly as much as you would but, still…oh, yeah. I'm going there. Stand Down or be Shut Down, Gerry, the choice is yours… no, your son has**_ **plenty** _ **of balls. More balls than brains and that's saying something. It's just that mine are slightly bigger, is all**_ _…"_

Big Gerry had yielded with laughing disgust. Cyrus had looked at her for a long beat after hanging up the phone and silently walked away, having Olivia hold her guard up with both hands. A quiet Cyrus was a dangerous Cyrus…

In response to the aforementioned Cyrus' hissed question, she calmly covered their tab and walked out the diner. Cyrus followed her and they ended up standing at the side of the empty bus, right near the luggage storage area. With an aggravated sigh, he slammed one of the compartment doors down and glared at her like she was a roach that needed to be stomped on.

" _I should've seen it earlier._  I should've connected the dots. Why  _ **else**_  would you have pushed so hard for the damned divorce to go through? Why  _ **else**_  would you be so bold with Big Gerry? You…you're the one who sent in the DNA, aren't you? You  _ **are!**_  You…you found Mellie's little harem boys and did something to make them all come forward. You engineered the only circumstance in the World that a Republican National Candidate, especially a long shot RINO could get a divorce and not only stay in the Race but have a shot of taking it. You did it all, Olivia. I  _ **know**_  you did and the only reason that I can think of you doing it is because you and Fitz are screwing. I ask you again: how long have you two been screwing?"

"We're not screwing."

"Do you think I'm stupid?!"

"No, I don't think you're stupid but you are wrong. Fitz and I aren't having sex yet."

" _ **Yet?**_ "

"Yet. Ask Fitz if you don't believe me. He'll tell you the same thing."

" _Ask me what?_ "

Fitz exited the bus and Olivia felt a shot of heat go through her at the sight of him. While he was still in his suit pants, his blue dress shirt was open to show a white t-shirt clad toned torso and a slate gray tie (that she had bought him) was draped over his shoulders. Looking down at his feet, she burst out laughing.

" _ **Really**_ , Fitz?" she huffed.

"What? Karen gave them to me and they're comfortable." he defended.

Olivia just shook her head and rolled her eyes fondly. Only Fitz Grant III would put on a pair of fuzzy neon rainbow house shoes and rock them unrepentantly.

"Keep mocking my fashion choices and you'll have to walk to the next campaign stop, Ms. Pope. I mean it. What exactly am I being asked about, Cyrus and why do I have the feeling that I'm not going to like it?"

"Cyrus wants to know how long we've been screwing. I told him that we haven't taken that step yet but he doesn't believe me.", Olivia informed him bluntly, making his jaw clench and eyes darken.

"Is that true, Cyrus?"

"Fitz…"

" **Is it true, Cyrus?** "

"Yes, damn it, it is! You two are…"

Fitz held up a hand and gestured for them both to join him on the empty bus, away from the curious stares beginning to drift their way.

"What is and isn't going on between Olivia and I has nothing to do with you. You have no right to ask her anything about any part of our relationship, especially so disrespectfully."

"I have every right! You hired me to get you into the White House! You told me that you wanted to be the 44th President of the United States and I've stuck by you through all sorts of setbacks and bullshit and…"

"She wasn't lying to you. While we're close, Olivia and I haven't made love yet. It will be soon, though."

"And then what happens? You live happily ever after? Give me a damned break and really? Of all the people to rebound with, of all the panting females in heat around here who would gladly let you rip their panties off, you had to pick the one person who can make or break this Campaign to pieces?"

"Anyone other than Olivia that is interested in me is going to be very disappointed. Olivia is  _ **not**_  a rebound nor is she a one night stand to me. I have genuine and deep feelings for her. I have ever since you introduced us and I will continue to have them. And now that I am divorced and as long as she's willing, I intend to explore those feelings fully and see where they lead to. Yes, I hired you to help me get into the White House and I can just as easily fire you or I can accept your resignation right now. This has nothing to do with you or the Campaign, Cyrus.  **You will not ruin this, Cyrus.** "

Cyrus blinked once, twice and then looked at her beseechingly.

"Don't look at me. You heard the man. Our relationship really has nothing to do with you. Unfortunately, it  _ **does**_  have something to do with the Campaign but the reason you brought me into this dark comedy of errors to begin with is because I'm the best at what I do. If I can spin and Handle him getting divorced, I can certainly spin and Handle him being a single father and dating someone new, even if it is me. Will it be easy? No. Absolutely not. In the eyes of his Party, I am the wrong age, I am the wrong race, I am his subordinate, and I am nowhere near soft and pliable enough to be an acceptable First Lady in their eyes…"

" _ **First Lady?**_ " both men inquired in surprised stereo.

" Fitz, I am not about to put this Campaign, my heart and reputation, your heart and reputation, and most importantly, Karen and Gerry's already fragile emotions at risk for a fling. This is…look, bottom line, I want to be with Fitz. Fitz wants to be with me. Openly. We're going to be together and we're going to be great together or at least fail amicably. Cyrus, you can either stand down on this matter or be shut down. Don't even bother asking me to choose between the Campaign and him because even if I leave the Campaign, I'm not leaving him. That's not an option. And really?  _ **You're**_ going to get on a high horse about our relationship? You, of all people? What about your own dead marriage, Cyrus? What about your impending divorce, Cyrus? What about  _ **James Novak**_ , Cyrus? The way I see it, you don't the right or enough hours in the day to be interfering with Fitz and me right now, not that the interference is needed..."

"…or wanted. Back off." Fitz finished frostily.

Cyrus looked between them and then sat down in the nearest seat with his head in his hands.

"… _this is a disaster in the making. I hope the both of you realize that._ "

"I know. I told her to run."

"And _ **I**_  told  _ **you**_  that I don't run and it'll only be a disaster if we make it a disaster, Fitz. Well, more me than you. I kill relationships as easily as a person kills a mosquito. Just ask Edison Davis."

"You were with Edison Davis? Senator Edison Davis of Florida?"

"Yeah. We were engaged to be married."

"… _ **why?**_ "

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. Cyrus? Are we going to have a problem here or not?"

" _Yes…but I'll help you two solve it. If by some bizarre miracle you two pull this…whatever the hell you call yourselves doing off, it'll be historic. There's never been an unmarried President elected nor has there ever been the possibility of an interracial First Couple, especially coming from the Republican Party. It could work._ " he sighed wearily.

"It really could work. Imagine it, Fitz. We could actually be together without the world turning upside down and causing the return of Godzilla."

"Shocking, isn't it?"

" _You're both_ _ **so**_ _hilarious. You should go on the road. I don't understand this. I don't like this. I don't like this at all._ "

"You don't have to like it or understand it but in order to keep your job and maybe even your life, you  _ **do**_  have to respect it, whatever it ends up becoming.", Olivia advised him sagely, Fitz nodding in solemn agreement.

"… _I can live with that. Just, do me a favor, you two? Make sure that I don't see or hear anything._ _ **Ever.**_ "

"No promises."

"Learn how to knock."

" _I need a drink._ "

_**/** _

"This is me."

"…I'm down there."

The rest of the day had been like a pot of water coming to boil between them. The sexual tension was so thick, the unspoken yearning for each other was so potent that it was practically visible. After Mellie's departure and the divorce finalization, the Campaign had unexpectedly kicked into overdrive. While the Base was unhappy with the divorce, People as a whole were in favor of it. The fact that Fitz was brave enough and decisive enough to end his 15 year marriage was appealing. His approval ratings had skyrocketed and with that momentum came more appearances, more interviews, more of everything but the time alone that they craved.

She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to undress him and put him underneath her. She wanted to feel him on top of her, inside her, all over her. How long had it been since he had been touched? How long had it been since he had been wanted? Olivia was afraid to ask…

"Go in your room and close the door and I'll leave you alone."

"…what if I don't want you to leave me alone?"

" _ **Livvie**_ …"

She turned around and met the tempest raging in his eyes head on. Every feeling that she had brutally suppressed, every stray thought about the man in front of her, every fantasy was bubbling over, spilling through her rapidly falling walls. It was no longer taboo to think of him as more than a candidate, as more than a good friend. He was divorced, now. He was free to be with anyone he pleased. He was free and she wasn't going to let this prime opportunity go to waste.

It was time to claim her man.

Closing the distance between them, Olivia pulled him down into an aggressive kiss. His carry on and large suitcase hit the corridor floor with a muffled thud and his hands buried in her hair, mussing the neat updo she had put it in. Her hands slid underneath his jacket and the kiss broke roughly, Fitz using his left hand to lightly grip her neck, to look at her. Their breathing was jagged and she could feel the heat of his arousal against her lower abdomen. Swallowing thickly, Fitz moved away from her and collected his luggage, her doing the same. She sighed and turned towards his door, him following behind her. His keycard was inserted and the door opened, admitting them both. He rolled their suitcases into the alcove and rested his carry on between them before turning to face her again.

"Stay the night with me."

"Okay.", she agreed readily.

Both of them smiled and she returned to his arms, ready and eager for their night to begin.

" _ **And the morning, too.**_ " he demanded huskily, his hands going possessively to her bottom.

" _You have a prayer meeting and pancake breakfast at 6AM and I can't just_ …"

His lips were devastating against the slope of her neck and her knees threatened to buckle as his fingers skimmed over her budded nipples through her blouse…

As one, they reached out and the door slammed with a decisive bang.

Finally.

Alone at last…

_**/** _

He couldn't get enough of her.

She was exquisite, addicting to his taste buds and deliciously soft in his arms. She was so petite that he could pick her up with very little effort and she was practically climbing him, clutching at him needily as they kissed and kissed and kissed…

His wrist caught in some sort of cord as he placed her on the small vanity and Fitz yanked it free, sending a lamp shattering to the floor. Olivia's knees drew up high and he heard her mile high heels hit the floor. They wouldn't stay on the floor all night. Now that he was free, now that he finally had Olivia Pope in his arms, he had every intention of indulging his fantasies. He was going to kiss her until her lips were bee stung. He was going to hold her. He was going to make her moan. He was going to make her giggle. He was going to make her scream. He was going to map every inch of her with his fingertips and his mouth. He was going to lick her dry and wet until she scratched him raw, until she begged him to stop. He was going to take her in all the ways he ached to, especially with her wearing nothing but those goddamned sexy heels of hers…

He caught her wrists and she looked up at him with a blend of confusion, desire, and a bit of fear. She had nothing to fear from him. He would never hurt her and turning her away was out of the question. It would kill them both.

" _ **Take off your clothes.**_ "

Olivia shivered and slowly obeyed him, looking up at him with soft submission as her peach blouse parted. Her bra was snow white, pretty with cups that reminded him of sea shells. Fitz's eyes took her in greedily as the blouse hit the floor. She was so beautiful and she actually  _ **wanted**_ him. He could see her budded nipples, hear the jagged edge in her breathing, see the trembling of her knees as she stepped free of her slacks.

He could  _ **smell**_  her…

Her panties were also white, modest yet sexy with a small black bow at the waistline. She reached for him and their lips met again, softer this time but just as hungrily. A surprised gasp escaped her as he picked her up but she held onto him tightly as he moved them towards the bed, the tip of her tongue darting against his lower lip before she suckled on it.

Gently, ever so gently, he laid her down and untucked his shirt before joining her on the bed. Her long legs were parted and he rubbed her bent knees before getting at the buttons of his shirt. A low moan of pleasure rumbled in his chest as her hand caressed up his abdomen and he felt masculine pride at the approving moan that left his Livvie's swollen lips. Although he was pushing 50, Fitz did his utmost to stay in good physical condition. Cardiovascular issues ran in his family, along with diabetes from his mother's side. Every carefully balanced meal he had ever eaten, every sit up, crunch, and pull up he had ever done was worth seeing the mounting desire on his angel's face.

Standing back up, he toed off his shoes. Reaching, he stroked the inside of her legs before getting to the waistband of her panties. Seeing the permission and pleading in her deep ebony eyes, Fitz slowly removed them, following the motion of her pointed foot as the fabric slipped past. Dropping the damp and sweet smelling material, he returned to her for more of her kisses, more of her warmth. Both of them shuddered at the feel of their half clothed bodies grinding together and Fitz grasped onto the last vestiges of his control tightly.

It had been so long. It had been such a lonely and cold 10 years, so full of confusion and doubt. As much as he was aching to be inside her, he was certain that once he was, he'd go off like a firecracker in less than 30 seconds. Olivia deserved better than that. She had earned so much better than that. She had been so loyal and good to him, even in the face of nearly insurmountable opposition from in and outside of the Campaign. She had come into his life and made him want to be a better man, father, and politician. She had helped him find his voice again, his spirit. He wanted to show her just how much she meant to him…

He wanted to taste her.

_**/** _

Olivia felt her body buckle at the feel of his descending lips on her abdomen and she used a hand to urge his attentions on. She was pulsing with need and she could feel her nectar running down her thighs. Her heart was pounding in her ears and the only thing keeping her anchored to reality was the delicious weight of him on top of her. She couldn't stop touching him. Her imagination and analytical mind hadn't come anywhere close to the real Fitz Grant III. He was a beautiful man and hers for the taking, for the keeping.

Like she said earlier, it wouldn't be easy. It was one thing to get together but staying together was a whole other animal. She and Fitz were near polar opposites in every way that mattered but in the end, they worked well together. They were good together. Platonically, professionally, sexually…oh god, sexually…they were…they were…

She whimpered as his tongue skimmed over her slit and the both of them groaned as her knees fell open even wider to accept him. Fitz's eyes were pleading and she nodded, moving her hips so that her soaked heat could brush against his face encouragingly.

" _ **Ahhh!**_ "

His mouth was incredible. His tongue moved up and down, in and out, repetition the norm and the norm was going to kill her. She was going to die of bliss underneath him. The more she gave him, the more he wanted. Fitz was licking and lapping at her sex like his favorite dessert. His ears were crimson red and with each deep plunge of his tongue into her, his hips moved against the mattress. Olivia quivered and used a gentle hand to guide him to where she ached the most, to where she wanted to feel his tongue on her…he was a quick study and soon, she was bucking underneath him.

" _ **Fitz...**_ _don't stop, baby…please, please don't stop…make me…m-make me come, Fitz…I want to come i-in your mouth…all over your face…oh god,_ _ **yes! Right there!**_ "

" _ **Mmmm…come for me, Livvie…let me feel you…let me taste you**_ _…"_

Her head went back, her eyes squeezed shut, and Olivia yelped as she came, her toes curled and fingers clenching hard into the bedding. Fitz kept at her through her climax, groaning and growling at each clench of her walls around his tongue, her thighs around his head. With a low shaky groan, she calmed and his tongue licked a lazy straight line to the band of her bra.

" _Take this damned thing off. I want you naked, now._ "

His commanding tone nearly sent her into orbit again but she obeyed him, baring her whole body to his admiring eyes. Leaving the bed, Fitz finally removed the rest of his clothing and she felt her eyes widen at the sight of his manhood. It was around 10 inches long and very thick, pulsing and almost angry looking in its need. He returned to the bed and Olivia touched him before he could continue touching her, making him cry out.

" _ **Livvie**_ …" he sighed against her breasts, his lower half squirming in response to the rhythmic stroke of her hand, of both of her hands. Her right hand could feel him pulsing inside, feel the churning of his held back release. Her left hand varied its speed and pressure until she found the right combination. Fitz was groaning like a tormented soul, thrusting needily into her grip until his eyes rolled back. He pulled away quickly and she let out a mew of protest as he caught her wrists again. He had been lavishing her with attention this whole time and while that was nice, she wanted to reciprocate. There were so many things that she wanted to do to and with this man. She wanted to make him come. She wanted to see him come for her…

" _I need to be inside you…I want to be inside you…will you let me in, Livvie?_ "

Olivia nodded and both of them hissed at the full body, skin on skin contact that they had as they positioned themselves. Their lips brushed together teasingly, lightly and he slid a pillow underneath her bottom. Olivia wrapped her legs around Fitz's waist and he rose up on forearms.

" _Look at me…look at me, Olivia…look at me_ …"

" _Please, Fitz…I need you…I want you…now, please, now_ …"

He entered her slowly and Olivia's mouth fell open in a silent scream. Fitz's face dropped into the pillow her head was on and he was shivering. Every new inch that was engulfed by her body felt better than the last and she mewed as his groin touched hers. God, he was on her. He was finally in her and he felt like absolute bliss, even with the slight burn of her stretched muscles. Olivia pressed a chain of kisses to his neck and shoulder and love drunk cobalt eyes looked at her tenderly as they settled into the middle of the mattress.

"… _ **Hi.**_ " she rasped.

Smiling lips kissed hers and he pressed closer to her, prompting her limbs to tighten around him.

"… _hi. Am I hurting you?_ "

" _Unh-uh…you feel wonderful…move, Fitz…move inside me_ … _please, baby,_ _ **move**_ …"

Their rhythm was slow and a bit clumsy to start with. It had been a long time for both of them and they were still unfamiliar with each others bodies, with the way that the other moved. Every breath she took and released held a moan, a gasp, a whimper. Fitz was still shivering and he was moaning deeply as he kissed her neck, her shoulder, anywhere he could reach. Olivia cried out at a particularly deep plunge and he did it again, making her squeak and dig her blunt nails into his shoulders. A series of strokes followed and she met him halfway, working with him into a long, fast thrusting…

"… _don't stop…don't_ _ **ever**_ _stop…you feel so good, so warm, so_ _ **deep**_ _inside me…oh_ _ **god!**_ "

Her second climax struck her harshly and Fitz cried out in ecstatic pain as her rippling walls threw him into the void with her.

" _ **Olivia!**_ _God, Livvie,_ _ **yes!**_ _"_

" _ **Fitz-ger-ald!**_ _"_

Their screams blended and they nearly fell off the bed as their bodies writhed. He kissed her powerfully and she pulled him flush to her, not wanting a centimeter of distance from him. One of his hands pulled the tangled bedding upwards and soon, they were cocooned together, resting on their sides. Olivia wrapped her arms around him and started pressing soft kisses to his lips, his cheeks, his neck, even the tip of his nose. Fitz chuckled at the last one and she smiled at him.

" _Hi._ "

" _Hi._ "

With a light push forward, she put him on his back and rested her head on his chest, right above his calming heart. Tender fingertips traced the goosebumps on her skin and tender lips went to her brow, making them both sigh deeply.

" _That was…oh, Fitz…that was_ _ **exquisite**_ _…_ "

His cheeks filled with color and he looked away shyly before confiding, " _I'm just glad that I lasted long enough for it to be good for you, Livvie. It's been a while…_ "

" _How long?_ "

" _Before tonight, it had been 10 years._ "

" _ **Really?**_ "

" _Mm-hm. She didn't want me anymore and I just…she didn't want me anymore at all. I wasn't enough for her so she found someone else._ "

Any other man would've sounded angry or resentful. Fitz just sounded so sad, like he had done something wrong and that broke her heart. The words that she had coldly spat during their First Meeting, about his marriage being cold, distant, and dead took on a whole other meaning now and it was just desolate. She could only imagine what it was like to be denied love and affection for so long from someone that was supposed to love and want him around for him, not just for the politics and prestige.

Olivia nuzzled him and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw. Mellie no longer mattered. She was gone and Olivia was with him, now. She would…Olivia knew that she would try and push him away. That's what she did with men but she silently swore to never make him feel like he wasn't enough for her. She wouldn't…she wouldn't hurt him like Mellie did. She wouldn't…

" _I'll_ _ **always**_ _want you. You're more than enough for me._ "

He swallowed thickly and held her closer, covered them with more warm bedding and softness.

" _I'm so glad I met you. I missed you, Livvie. I didn't even know you and I missed you."_

If any other man said something like that to her, she'd immediately dismiss the statement as an outright lie or as something much too saccharine to be taken seriously but as always, Fitz Grant III was proving to be an exception to her rules.

Rules were made to be broken.

She would happily break every rule in every book ever written if it meant that she could be with this man...that she could love this man and have him love her back.

" _I missed you, too…"_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**(CMW2/Trumpetnista:Draftbook Drabble #5: Follow Up to D.D.s #1 and #3-First Time AKA #HotelGate, Morning After, The Trail, Fitz, Olivia, Cyrus, mentioned past Edison/Olivia, mentioned past Mellitz zombie, mentioned established Mew, established Olitz, AU aftermath of one of the greatest Olitz moments of all time, ALL. TIME., AU, NSFW)**

****Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"** **

 

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #3...**

_He kissed her powerfully and she pulled him flush to her, not wanting a centimeter of distance from him. One of his hands pulled the tangled bedding upwards and soon, they were cocooned together, resting on their sides. Olivia wrapped her arms around him and started pressing soft kisses to his lips, his cheeks, his neck, even the tip of his nose. Fitz chuckled at the last one and she smiled at him._

" _Hi."_

" _Hi."_

_With a light push forward, she put him on his back and rested her head on his chest, right above his calming heart. Tender fingertips traced the goosebumps on her skin and tender lips went to her brow, making them both sigh deeply._

" _That was…oh, Fitz…that was_ _ **exquisite**_ _…"_

_His cheeks filled with color and he looked away shyly before confiding, "I'm just glad that I lasted long enough for it to be good for you, Livvie. It's been a while…"_

" _How long?"_

" _Before tonight, it had been 10 years."_

" _ **Really?**_ _"_

" _Mm-hm. She didn't want me anymore and I just…she didn't want me anymore at all. I wasn't enough for her so she found someone else."_

_Any other man would've sounded angry or resentful. Fitz just sounded so sad, like he had done something wrong and that broke her heart. The words that she had coldly spat during their First Meeting, about his marriage being cold, distant, and dead took on a whole other meaning now and it was just desolate. She could only imagine what it was like to be denied love and affection for so long from someone that was supposed to love and want him around for him, not just for the politics and prestige._

_Olivia nuzzled him and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw. Mellie no longer mattered. She was gone and Olivia was with him, now. She would…Olivia knew that she would try and push him away. That's what she did with men but she silently swore to never make him feel like he wasn't enough for her. She wouldn't…she wouldn't hurt him like Mellie did. She wouldn't…_

" _I'll_ _ **always**_ _want you. You're more than enough for me."_

_He swallowed thickly and held her closer, covered him with more warm bedding and softness._

" _I'm so glad I met you. I missed you, Livvie. I didn't even know you and I missed you."_

_If any other man said something like that to her, she'd immediately dismiss the statement as an outright lie or as something much too saccharine to be taken seriously but as always, Fitz Grant III was proving to be an exception to her rules._

_Rules were made to be broken._

_She would happily break every rule in every book ever written if it meant that she could be with this man…that she could love this man and have him love her back._

" _..._ _ **I missed you, too**_ _…"_

* * *

 

_" **Ms. Pope?**  Ms. Pope, wait! I...I apologize for firing you."_

_"Why?"_

_"Why do I apologize?"_

_"_ _**Why did you fire me?** _ _I had a job, a_ _**paying** _ _job from which I took a leave of absence to do a favor for my friend Cyrus because I am_ _**good!** _ _I am_ _**brilliant!** _ _I would eat, breathe, and live Fitzgerald Grant every minute of every day! You would be_ _**lucky** _ _to have me! Just because you don't like hearing the truth about yourself..."_

_"I_ _**loved** _ _hearing what you had to say. I agree with every word. Very astute...and you're right. I_ _**would** _ _be lucky to have you..."_

A series of woodpecker like knocks had Fitz Grant III's eyes opening and drifting to the alarm clock. 4:45AM, his standard wake up time for early morning Campaign activities. There was a prayer meeting and pancake breakfast in a little over 2 hours. He had to get up and turn into the Governor of California, the Proper yet Approachable Candidate. He had to…he had to get rid of whoever was knocking yesterday because he was not alone in his bed. For the first time in 10 years, he was not alone or unwanted in his own bed. Mellie wasn't next to him, anymore. She was next to Andrew Nichols, now. Things had changed for the better, now. Olivia Pope was finally next to him and still very much asleep. She looked like an angel against the bedding, all fluid curves and sweet silkiness.  _ **He**_ wanted to wake her up, not whoever was knocking…

With a soft groan, Fitz swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, walking cautiously to the door. The room was in much better condition than he thought it would be, other than a broken lamp and the utter disarray of the bed, not to mention their discarded clothing all over the place. For some reason, he had expected it to look worse. He and Olivia's passion the night before had been earth shaking and life affirming. The emotional shockwaves alone could've broken out all of the windows in the room and all the other rooms in the hotel…

Opening the door to a sliver, he met a still drowsy Cyrus Beene's gaze. The man's eyes widened at the sight of him and his jaw clenched as a scarlet tint filled his cheeks. Judging by the slight throbbing on his neck and burning on his back, Fitz knew that Olivia had not only left her mark on his emotions but his body as well. And Fitz, although hidden by the walls was obviously naked, obviously well loved. Cyrus' face shifted through at least 6 expressions and Fitz just waited patiently for him to get his words together, words that better have more than an ounce of respect to them. They had been over this the day before. He and Olivia's relationship was theirs and theirs alone to analyze, strengthen, deepen, and (god he hoped it didn't happen anytime soon or at all…) rip apart.

Other than a personal life Optics standpoint, a personal life Optics standpoint that Olivia could Handle with one hand tied behind her back (or to his headboard, if she were willing…), their relationship had nothing to do with the Campaign or the 'sausage factory' manager standing in front of him right now. Cyrus had been firmly warned against undermining them and now he had to choose whether he was going to stay in his lane or not…

"Good morning, Governor."

"Good morning, Cyrus. I'm up.", Fitz replied pleasantly, going along with him for now.

A heavy beat of silence and then, "Have you seen or heard from Liv, recently? She's not answering her phone and she's not in her room."

* * *

"… _stay the night with me."_

" _Okay.", she agreed readily._

_Both of them smiled and she returned to his arms, ready and eager for their night to begin._

" _ **And the morning, too.**_ _" he demanded huskily, his hands going possessively to her bottom…_

… _Olivia's knees drew up high and he heard her mile high heels hit the floor. They wouldn't stay on the floor all night. Now that he was free, now that he finally had Olivia Pope in his arms, he had every intention of indulging his fantasies. He was going to kiss her until her lips were bee stung. He was going to hold her. He was going to make her moan. He was going to make her giggle. He was going to make her scream. He was going to map every inch of her with his fingertips and his mouth. He was going to lick her dry and wet until she scratched him raw, until she begged him to stop. He was going to take her in all the ways he ached to, especially with her wearing nothing but those goddamned sexy heels of hers…_

_He caught her wrists and she looked up at him with a blend of confusion, desire, and a bit of fear. She had nothing to fear from him. He would never hurt her and turning her away was out of the question. It would kill them both._

" _ **Take off your clothes.**_ "

_... her bra was snow white, pretty with cups that reminded him of sea shells. Fitz's eyes took her in greedily as the blouse hit the floor. She was so beautiful and she actually_ _**wanted** _ _him. He could see her budded nipples, hear the jagged edge in her breathing, see the trembling of her knees as she stepped free of her slacks…_

… _her panties were also white, modest yet sexy with a small black bow at the waistline…_

… _reaching, he stroked the inside of her legs before getting to the waistband of her panties. Seeing the permission and pleading in her deep ebony eyes, Fitz slowly removed them, following the motion of her pointed foot as the fabric slipped past…_

"… _ **Ahhh!**_ "

"… _ **Fitz...**_ _don't stop, baby…please,_ _ **please**_ _don't stop…make me…m-make me come, Fitz…I want to come i-in your mouth…all over your face…oh god,_ _ **yes! Right there!**_ "

"… _please, Fitz…I_ _ **need**_ _you…I want you…now, please, now_ …"

"… _you feel_ _ **wonderful**_ _…move, Fitz…move inside me_ … _please, baby,_ _ **move**_ …"

"… _don't stop…don't_ _ **ever**_ _stop…you feel so good, so warm, so_ _ **deep**_ _inside me…oh_ _ **god!**_ "

" _ **Fitz-ger-**_ **ald!** _"_

"… _that was…oh, Fitz…that was_ _ **exquisite**_ _…_ "

"… _I'll_ _ **always**_ _want you._ _ **You're more than enough for me**_ _…_ "

* * *

"Fitz?  **Fitz!** "

Back in the present and unashamed, Fitz opened the door just enough to show their luggage in the alcove, along with Olivia's charging phone on top of his carry-on. It must be on vibrate or dead because neither of them heard a thing. Or more than likely, Cyrus was lying about trying to call her in order to add a bit of legitimacy to his concern in case of prying eyes and eavesdropping ears. Before Cyrus could react to the sights, Fitz stuck his head and left arm out fully, an arm ready and willing to clothesline the man if he tried to come in to wake her up.

"…you don't have anything to worry about, Cyrus. She's safe."

With a soft sigh, Cyrus closed his eyes and replied, "I can buy you two an extra 20 minutes of…alone time but if you're not downstairs by 6:30, I'm sending a search party…and a goddamned pair of chastity belts."

And away the man went, slamming the door to his hotel room with a pointed bang. With a shrug and a low laugh, Fitz closed his own door and stretched his arms over his head, feeling and enjoying the pop of his lower vertebrae.

"… _you shut him down like a pro, Governor Grant. I'm impressed."_

"Yeah, I've got skills. In more ways than one as you've recently learned..."

Olivia giggled at his machismo and he turned to face her fully. The pre-dawn light filtered through the room's curtains and gave her milk chocolate skin a silken finish. She was sitting up with the flat sheet held to her nakedness and she made to get up. Fitz crossed back to the bed and kissed her good morning before she could. Moaning, she accepted it and her small yet strong hands ran up over his pecs possessively, maneuvering him so that he was on his back. He put her underneath him and laughed out loud as she grabbed him and slammed him firmly back onto the mattress underneath her.

"Stay where I put you, Governor Grant.", she scolded with a poke to the tip of his nose.

"We are  _ **so**_ far beyond the Governor Grant crap now, Olivia…"

"It's your title and we work together. To refer to you as anything other than it during the day is inappropriate."

"Then, let's be inappropriate."

"Yes, let's. Stay where I put you. I mean it."

Curious and willing to play, Fitz removed his hands from her behind and closed his eyes at the sensation of her stretching out over him. She made sure to press her breasts against his chest and with a flick of her tongue against his clavicle, began a slow descent downward with kisses, licks, and…

" _ **Livvie**_ …"

" _You stopped me last night…you wouldn't let me taste you…will you let me taste you now, Fitz?"_

"… _y-you don't have to…"_

" _I_ _ **want**_ _to…will you let me?"_

" _God, yes…anything you want…oh,_ _ **fuck**_ _…"_

_**/** _

He was delectable.

The more tasted, the more she wanted. He fit in her mouth well and knew how to move so she wouldn't be hurt or uncomfortable. Instead of forcing her head up and down, instead of pulling her hair harshly, he was gentle, so gentle and grateful for her attentions…

"… _you're amazing, Livvie…don't stop…please don't…_ _ **Olivia**_ _…_ "

Her tongue washed over his sac, sucking each part into her mouth before licking a slow trail up the vein on the underside. Fitz's thighs were trembling and she stroked them with soft fingertips as she rose up on her elbows. His cock was slick with arousal and evidence of her, pulsing and twitching in the open air. Meeting his eyes, she wrapped her hand around him and stroked him in the way she had learned the night before, causing a look of ultimate pleasure verging on pain to slacken and twist his features. His muscles stood out in sharp relief as his body coiled tighter and tighter, his hips thrust harder and faster into her loving grasp.

" _Are you close, baby? Answer me_ …"

His 'yes' was mostly a pant and buried a series of desperate moans and hisses through gritted teeth.

" _I want to see you come for me, now...come for me, Fitz…come for me_ _ **hard**_ …"

How can a person tell if someone is in pain or rapture if they can't see them, can't hear them? There was a thin line between pleasure and pain and the sharp cries that escaped her obedient lover were tinged with both. She stroked him through his climax, licking her lips at each shot of his warm seed that splattered against her palm, her wrist, her arm. Fitz's eyes were watery and dazed and a full body shudder of delight went through him before he melted, his eyes drifting shut into a light doze. Olivia smiled at a job well done and checked the time. 5:25…shower time.

Using the sheet to clean her arm and licking the rest of his offering from her palm, she left him to luxuriate in the afterglow and got her large suitcase. Resting it in front of the vanity she had been on the night before (and carefully avoiding the remains of the lamp), she opened the case and pulled out her toiletry bag. The bag held a bar of lavender Yardley soap, a ¾ full bottle of Peppermint and Rosemary bottle wash from Burt's Bees, and her plush pink shower poof. Her hair definitely needed to be done so she also pulled out her Pantene shampoo and conditioner, her pink flatiron and blow dryer, as well as a bottle of heat protectant spray. Her spinbrush, Listerine, and Scope toothpaste were tucked in the crook of her arm, along with her makeup bag and a bottle of cocoa butter lotion.

The bathroom was large and had a double sink to go with the large wall sized mirror. Claiming the sink closest to the door, she set up her supplies and listened as Fitz got up himself, turning on the early morning local news. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the wobbling of his knees as he collected their dirty clothes and she smirked to herself proudly. She still had it…

Bringing her bathing products into the stall with her, Olivia turned on the shower and expertly manipulated the temperature to hot but not unbearable. She grabbed two large towels and placed them on the shelf right next to the stall.

Fitz entered the bathroom and placed his own supplies around the other sink. It was actually nice to be able to share a space with him in silence. Edison had always needed to fill in the space with words, usually words that she had no interest in hearing or words that would inevitably lead to an argument…

"So, are you joining me in here or not?"

"…do you want me to?"

"I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't. C'mere. There's plenty of room…"

_**/** _

**Two Weeks Later…**

"' _The most honest thing that I can tell you about myself right now is that I am in love with an incredible woman.' When I said those words, I meant them. I meant them with everything that I am. However, the woman I was referring to in that statement was not the woman I was married to at the time. I have a great amount of respect for Mellie Vaughn as a person and I have tenderness for her as the mother of my children but the love that I spoke of, the love that I still feel standing before you this evening does not belong to Mellie Vaughn. That love belongs to and will always belong to Olivia Pope._ _ **I**_ _belong to Olivia Pope."_

The air seemed to go out of the crowded room and he continued to the gathered Press, to the country, to her,  _"I fell in love with Olivia from the moment I first heard her voice. She stood up to me without fear and let me know what was wrong with not only the Campaign but with me as a person. She forced me to rip off the blinders and see what kind of man that I really was. She inspired me to do better, to be a better man, father, and politician, to be the Man of the People that is my Campaign tagline. Every bit of progress you've seen from me personally and professionally in these last few weeks and months is directly because of her."_

He took a drink of water and resumed,  _"I want to make it very clear that it wasn't until_ _ **after**_ _my divorce did I let her know just how I feel about her. I wanted…I did not want to cause the pain to Mellie, Karen and Gerry, or Olivia that my father's affairs caused to my mother and me growing up. I wanted to do it right. I did not want to make the scrutiny that Olivia will go through being attached to me worse by making her into a punch line, into a…into a mistress because she…she is beyond that. She is…_ _ **everything…**_ _"_

* * *

As soon as the elevator doors shut behind them, her lips were on his. Slapping the 'emergency stop' button, Olivia backed him into the upper left hand corner of the elevator car and pressed herself full length against him. Fitz's hands cupped her face and she looked up at him with awe.

" _You…you…you just told the American People, the whole world that you love me. You defended me. You…you_ _ **chose**_ _me_ …" she rasped in disbelief and in rapture.

Fitz nodded and used one of his thumbs to wipe her tears away.

" _No one's ever chosen me before. Not like this._   _Oh, God…you really_ _ **do**_ _love me, don't you?_ "

"So much, Olivia."

"… _I love you, too. I'm in love with you, too. It's not going to be easy and I am absolutely terrified that we'll fall apart but I_ _ **love**_ _you. I am proud to love you. I choose you, too._ "

"… _so, we're in this together?_ "

" _ **We're in this together.**_ "

And she sealed that promise with a kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #8-(Follow Up to D.D.s #1, 3, and 5, The Trail, Fitz, Olivia, Mellie, Andrew, FTGIV and Karen, established Olitz, established Mew, mentioned past Mellitz Zombie, mentioned past Edison/Olivia, AU aftermath of one of the greatest Olitz moments of all time, ALL. TIME., AU,)**

****Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"** **

 

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #5**

"' _The most honest thing that I can tell you about myself right now is that I am in love with an incredible woman.' When I said those words, I meant them. I meant them with everything that I am. However, the woman I was referring to in that statement was not the woman I was married to at the time. I have a great amount of respect for Mellie Vaughn as a person and I have tenderness for her as the mother of my children but the love that I spoke of, the love that I still feel standing before you this evening does not belong to Mellie Vaughn. That love belongs to and will always belong to Olivia Pope._ _ **I**_ _belong to Olivia Pope."_

_The air seemed to go out of the crowded room and he continued to the gathered Press, to the country, to her, "I fell in love with Olivia from the moment I first heard her voice. She stood up to me without fear and let me know what was wrong with not only the Campaign but with me as a person. She forced me to rip off the blinders and see what kind of man that I really was. She inspired me to do better, to be a better man, father, and politician, to be the Man of the People that is my Campaign tagline. Every bit of progress you've seen from me personally and professionally in these last few weeks and months is directly because of her."_

_He took a drink of water and resumed, "I want to make it very clear that it wasn't until_ _**after** _ _my divorce did I let her know just how I feel about her. I wanted…I did not want to cause the pain to Mellie, Karen and Gerry, or Olivia that my father's affairs caused to my mother and me growing up. I wanted to do it right. I did not want to make the scrutiny that Olivia will go through being attached to me worse by making her into a punch line, into a…into a mistress because she…she is beyond that. She is…_ _**everything…** _ _"_

… _as soon as the elevator doors shut behind them, her lips were on his. Slapping the 'emergency stop' button, Olivia backed him into the upper left hand corner of the elevator car and pressed herself full length against him. Fitz's hands cupped her face and she looked up at him with awe._

" _You…you…you just told the American People, the whole world that you love me. You defended me. You…you_ _ **chose**_ _me…" she rasped in disbelief and in rapture._

_Fitz nodded and used one of his thumbs to wipe her tears away._

" _No one's ever chosen me before. Not like this. Oh, God…you really_ _ **do**_ _love me, don't you?"_

" _So much, Olivia."_

"… _ **I love you, too.**_ _I'm in love with you, too. It's not going to be easy and I am absolutely terrified that we'll fall apart but I_ _ **love**_ _you. I am proud to love you. I choose you, too."_

"… _so, we're in this together?"_

" _ **We're in this together.**_ _"_

_And she sealed that promise with a kiss._

* * *

 

" _ **Going into the homestretch of the National Election, approval numbers for Grant are maintaining in the mid to upper 70**_ _ **th**_ _ **percentile…"**_

" _ **Doyle Oil officially dropped their endorsement for the Grant Campaign this past Saturday morning…"**_

" _ **From the ashes of the Grant marriage rises up a brand new relationship, dubbed 'Olitz' within the Social Media spheres. Last Friday night, Republican Presidential Candidate Fitzgerald Grant III stood up in front of everyone in the World and declared his love for Olivia Pope, who joined the Grant Campaign in…"**_

" _ **Patrick Grant was an adulterous silver mining and ranching whore, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant I was an adulterous wine making and ranching whore, Senator Fitzgerald Thomas Grant Jr. was an adulterous ranching and political whore but with Governor Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III…I believe him when he says that he didn't touch Olivia Pope until after his divorce was final. I don't know why but I genuinely believe him and I respect him for remaining true to his Vows. Obviously, they didn't mean that much to Millicent Vaughn or Andrew Nichols…"**_

"… _ **the only other major romantic relationship Ms. Pope has had that we know of was with Senator Edison Davis of Florida back in 2002, which is intriguing. While it seems that she doesn't have a specific type when it comes to race or Party, she does like an older, upwardly mobile man with big political ambitions and accomplishments. She doesn't see them as a springboard nor does she ride on their coat tails. No, she takes care of herself and has quite a bit of clout in the Public Relations and Crisis Management circles but you have to notice and acknowledge the pattern…"**_

"… _ **the revealing of the relationship between Fitz Grant III and Olivia Pope set Social Media ablaze and a new dialogue on race and interracial relationships has been opened…"**_

" _ **The NAACP has announced its official endorsement of the Grant Campaign…"**_

" _ **Any man that can go up on stage live and just put all of his shit on the line…that's gangsta. That's hardcore and that man definitely loves him some Olivia Pope. You can see it in his face, hear it in his voice when he talks about her. He did it right, he came correct, and he's got her hook, line, and sinker…lucky SOB…"**_

"… _ **elevator footage from the night of Governor Grant's public declaration of love for her shows a very passionate Olivia Pope showing her appreciation. The video and audio of the new couple were leaked to TMZ from an anonymous source within the hotel's staff and the hotel is in full damage control mode. So many high profile politicians and celebrities make it their home base when they're in town and even in the elevators or service tunnels, there's an expectation of privacy. A public apology has been issued on the hotel's website and…"**_

* * *

 

"What's wrong, Livvie? You've been quiet lately." Fitz Grant III asked with concerned eyes.

"I'm just tired, baby. I'm fine." Olivia Pope replied quickly, too quickly.

"Olivia, please don't lie to me. Something's been troubling you and I want to know what it is so I can help you Fix or Handle it. Is it the Campaign? Is it us?" he continued gently, sitting down on the edge of their bed they had just made.

With a soft sigh, Olivia sat down next to him and met his gaze head on. She had made a promise to herself to be different. She was going to be open. She wasn't going to shut down for no good reason. This wasn't her admittedly juvenile relationship with Edison Davis where it was all too easy for her to deflect and run. Her relationship with Fitz was a grown up relationship and he wasn't going to be dismissed or deflected. If he was asking for her opinion or after the state of her emotional health, he was doing so with tenacious determination and resolve.

Fortunately, being open and honest with Fitz came to her as naturally as breathing.

"No, it's not the Campaign and we're fine. I'd let you know if I thought that we weren't. It's just…I'm nervous about seeing the kids again and spending time with them. Things have changed, now and while they were perfectly fine with me being Liv, the Campaign manager, I'm not too sure that they'll be okay with me being Liv, their dad's girlfriend, especially with all the buzz surrounding us still. The majority of it is positive but still…it's got to be overwhelming for them, traumatizing even."

Understanding dawned in his cerulean slate gaze and he nodded in agreement, as well as appreciation.

"You're right and I'm glad you're concerned for their welfare, Liv. Although, when you think about it, knowing that you and I are a couple isn't nearly as overwhelming and traumatizing to them as finding out that their Uncle Andrew was in love with and having sex with their mother for years."

"That's true… I have to admit that your invitation to them to visit the kids with us here was a pleasant surprise. I thought that you'd still be too hurt or angry to even consider it."

"I  _ **am**_  hurt and angry but I have to look at the bigger picture. Regardless of the divorce, Mellie is still their mother and they still love her very much. She deserves to be a part of their lives. And they knew that Mellie and I weren't happy together. We hadn't been for years before they were born but we were both too cowardly and ambitious to divorce when we should've. We went into our marriage with the odds stacked against us to begin with and it didn't take long for the distance and neglect to set in on both of our parts. Yes, the fact she slept with my best friend and political blood brother, the fact that there was a distinct possibility that Karen was Andrew's daughter was devastating but…well, if she hadn't done what she done with Andrew and the others, then I wouldn't have met you. I wouldn't be with you right now and you are more than worth the pain. So, I'm actually grateful to them for it. Plus, now Mellie and all of her ways are Andrew's full time problem, now. When she gets in one of her crazy and ambitious moods, I can just leave and come home to someone sane. He can't. That's more than enough karmic balance for me. That's what he gets for having ghastly taste in women to begin with."

"Governor Pot, you have an urgent call from Adviser Kettle on Secure Line One. The subject is your blatant hypocrisy." she deadpanned with a poke to the tip of his nose.

"I married her under duress and you know it, woman!" he protested laughingly while batting her hand away gently.

"You  _ **still**_  did it, Fitzgerald and while the love you should've had for her as a wife never took root, you had enough attraction to her to make not one but two precious babies!"

"Not really, Livvie but at the end of the day, a willing hole is a willing hole, especially when one is blessed with a vivid imagination." he mused aloud.

In response to that, she grabbed one of the plum purple accent pillows and started walloping repeatedly him over the head, much to his cackling amusement.

"Oh my God, you're such an asshole, sometimes! And you're absolutely nasty!" she declared with an exaggerated pout.

"I'm a Grant man, Olivia. Nastiness and assholery runs through my veins like expensive scotch and Republican red..."

He caught the pillow before she could resume her attack and she looked at him somberly, making sure that he knew that she wasn't playing with him, anymore.

"I know that well but you better keep your Grant man tendencies in check when it comes to our future or I will drop you like a bad habit and not look back. I mean it, Fitzgerald. No matter how much I love you, I'm not putting up with any of the bad, crazy, and slutty nonsense that came from the Fitzgeralds and the other Grant men before you. I'm in this relationship to do it right and you better be too. Bad, crazy, and slutty Nonsense is not an option for either of us, really. It's just too important.  _ **We're**_  just too important." she informed him firmly.

The pillow was removed and Olivia crossed her ankles at the small of his back as Fitz drew her onto his lap. Instead of kissing her on the lips like she expected, he pressed a soft kiss to the slope of her shoulder revealed by his slate gray t-shirt she used as a nightgown and hugged her to him tenderly. She took the large clip holding her hair up out and both of them finger combed it into some semblance of order, her side bangs nearly hiding her right eye now.

"You won't ever have to worry about any bad, crazy, and especially slutty nonsense from me, Olivia. I grew up with all of that and I swore that I'd never do what Big Jerry did to Mother to the woman who chose to be with me."

"Disagreements happen and I'm sure that we'll end up starting WWIII a few times between us but…promise me we'll stick together in the end?"

"Always."

"Good."

_**/** _

Grinning, Fitz caught his running 12 year old daughter in a tight hug and spun her around the main house's wraparound porch, much to her giggling delight.

"Dad, put me down! I'm gonna puke!"

Gently but firmly, Fitz set Karen down on her feet and took her in. She had grown at least 2 inches since the last time he had seen her, putting her at Olivia's 5'4 height. She had on a long sleeved red shirt with small pink elephants on it (like her stuffed winged elephant Phanti), black jeans, and canvas sneakers, one pink and the other red with white smiley face laces. Her bitten down nails were painted black and there was clear glitter gloss on her lips. Her hair was loose and straightened so it went to just past her collarbone, the chocolate brown shot through with…navy blue highlights?

"Karen Marie Grant…"

"No worries, Dad. It's hair chalk. It washes right out in the shower."

"Good. You know the rules."

"No real makeup until I'm in high school and no permanent crazy hair dyes until I'm 16 and can pay for it myself.", she recited dutifully as she collected her neon green luggage from the stairs.

"Yep."

"Well, you better brace for impact with Quatro, then. Ever since he hit 16 at the top of the month, he's been…a masterpiece."

"What do you mean, Kare-Bear?"

"You'll see." she sing-songed before going inside.

As if on cue, the rear left SUV door opened again and Fitz felt his brows raise at the sight of his 16 year old son. Gerry was dressed in black from head to toe, other than a navy blue open plaid shirt and a white belt. Black t-shirt, black cargo pants with enough chains to break a metal detector, and a pair of black Doc Martin shitkickers. His curly hair was an unruly mop top and the light brown was also shot through with navy blue, only his would not be washing out anytime soon. A black electric bass case was placed on the porch swing and a large red overstuffed duffel went on top. Like Karen, his nails were bitten down and black but there was a band aid on his right thumb. There was even a large silver skull ring on his left hand to match the studs in his ears. Practically straightening to attention on the porch, Gerry removed his aviators and black lined cerulean slate eyes looked up at him from his 5'9 height, silently challenging him to say something, anything about his appearance.

"You look a hell of a lot better than when I tried the punk rock look, son. I was trying to look like one of the guys from the Ramones but honestly, I looked like a blend of Peter Frampton and Dr. Frank n Furter."

Surprise registered on Gerry's face and then, both of them grinned.

"Pics or it didn't happen, old man.", he demanded after hugging him and they did a quick fist bump.

"I think they're in the attic someplace. What brought all of this darkness on?" he inquired as they went inside.

"Honestly, it started as just a way to stick it to The Man and you and Mom's political optics but turns out, I really fucking dig it and so do the ladies…"

"Language…well, as long as you don't put yourself in the hospital, get anyone pregnant, or get arrested, you can keep the look. Of course, if we do a sit-down family interview, you'll have to tone it all the way down. I may be a renegade RINO but I'm still a Republican at the end of the day and there are still Republican Optics to consider."

"Natch…where's Liv? She didn't make a run for it yet, did she?"

"I'm right… _ **Ger-Bear?**_ "

Both Fitz and Karen cracked up at the utterly befuddled look on Olivia's face.

"Yeah, it's me. Don't worry, I don't bite…although, apparently, dad does…"

With a moue, Olivia adjusted the white cashmere scarf she had on to cover her neck and the admittedly triumphant hickey there.

"I knew I should've used concealer…get over here and hug me, Billie Joe."

"You know Green Day, Liv?" Karen asked with surprise.

"Of course. Your father's the one who's old, not me.", she replied brightly.

" _ **Hey!**_ "

"C'mon, dad…you gotta admit that you're getting up there. You'll be qualifying for AARP any second now. Not to mention the senior discount at IHOP…" Gerry trailed off with waggling brows, sending Karen and Olivia into a longer fit of giggles.

"One more crack like that and you're sleeping with the horses, young man. Shut up and go unpack." Fitz grumbled good naturedly.

"Aye, aye, Governor Methuselah. Come on, Karen."

_**/** _

"I was right. When you came to my office to lay it on the line, I told you that you were going to make him happy. I was right, thank God."

"Mellie seems to be happy, too."

"Most of the time, she is. She really is. It's just…it's been really hard for her. I know it's her own doing and partially my doing but her life has turned out in a way that she never dreamed it would. She's known as a punch line on a good day and an adulterous slut on a bad in the Media. Everyone's taking a shot at her. Well, everyone but who really has the right to. Fitz has kept it above board."

"That's just his way, Andrew. He can be tough when it counts and an absolute nightmare when he's angry or annoyed but overall, there's not a malicious bone in his body. He wants the best for Mellie and you, too."

"God broke the mold when he came up with him. Did you know that he still considers me to be his friend, his  _ **best**_  friend other than you? I fell in love with his wife, I slept with his wife, I lied to his face for 12 years, his daughter could've easily been mine but still…can you believe it? I'm waiting for him to slug me or something…"

"He won't slug you unless you do something to hurt them. Karen and Gerry are his heart and even though he loves me, he still cares about Mellie as the mother of his children, as he should. If you do something to hurt the 3 of them in any way, he'll rip you apart. And what's left of you will go to me. You don't want to make an enemy out of me, Andrew. Ever."

"Duly noted. You're going to be a damned good First Lady to this country, Olivia."

"I'm more concerned about being a damned good First Lady to Fitz."

"Both are one and the same. He's in good hands."

"And Mellie is in good hands with you."


	5. Chapter 5

**CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #14- (Follow up to #1, 3, 5, and 8, The Trail, AU, FTGIV and Karen, OCs abound, mentioned established Olitz and Mew, family dynamics, step family dynamics, first love, first kiss)**

****Disclaimer: Honestly, it's not mine!"** **

 

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #8...**

_As if on cue, the rear left SUV door opened again and Fitz felt his brows raise at the sight of his 16 year old son. Gerry was dressed in black from head to toe, other than a navy blue open plaid shirt and a white belt. Black t-shirt, black cargo pants with enough chains to break a metal detector, and a pair of black Doc Martin shitkickers. His curly hair was an unruly mop top and the light brown was also shot through with navy blue, only his would not be washing out anytime soon. A black electric bass case was placed on the porch swing and a large red overstuffed duffel went on top. Like Karen, his nails were bitten down and black but there was a band aid on his right thumb. There was even a large silver skull ring on his left hand to match the studs in his ears. Practically straightening to attention on the porch, Gerry removed his aviators and black lined cerulean slate eyes looked up at him from his 5'9 height, silently challenging him to say something, anything about his appearance._

" _You look a hell of a lot better than when I tried the punk rock look, son. I was trying to look like one of the guys from the Ramones but honestly, I looked like a blend of Peter Frampton and Dr. Frank n Furter."_

_Surprise registered on Gerry's face and then, both of them grinned._

" _Pics or it didn't happen, old man.", he demanded after hugging him and they did a quick fist bump._

" _I think they're in the attic someplace. What brought all of this darkness on?" he inquired as they went inside._

" _Honestly, it started as just a way to stick it to The Man and you and Mom's political optics but turns out, I really fucking dig it and so do the ladies…"_

* * *

"Quatro, are you fucking high or something? You just totally shut down Amber Millhouse!"

"Nate, Amber Millhouse's interest in me is as fake as her nose. If it wasn't painfully clear that my dad's about to be elected as POTUS in less than a month, then she would still be giggling behind her hand with her plastic minions as the football team calls me a fag and a Marilyn Manson wannabe. She's digging for Grant family political and literal gold and I'm not having it. I'm not making the same mistakes dad did with The Incubator. It all worked out in the end because now he's got Olivia and she's made entirely of awesome but I'm not going to go through 15 years of politically sound yet emotionally toxic purgatory before I can find and be with the right woman. Fuck that shit."

"Who said anything about being a relationship? I'm talking about getting laid…"

"Well, that's what makes us different, my friend. I'm not saving it for marriage but I'm not giving it up to the first pretty girl that wants it, either. When I start having sex, I want to be attracted to  _ **all**_ the parts of my partner, not just her ass, which by the way is also fake on Amber. You can always tell by the thighs."

"Oh, my God…"

"Here's some sage advice from your crazy Uncle Gerry to you, young horny whippersnapper: always check the thighs beforehand so you don't end up replacing someone's silicone discount booty on your dime."

"You're a damned fool, man and I'm gonna miss the shit outta you when you and K.G. move to D.C. with your dad and your de facto step momma. You're going with them, aren't you?"

"Not yet. We're going to wait until he's been in office a year before doing the Big Move. We'll come out to D.C. for breaks and the occasional state dinner but we'll be here mainly. Dad and Liv let us choose to stay and it's trippy as hell. I mean, for years, it was like "you two brats stay on the back shelf in the closet far, far away until it's time for the tap dance number" and now, we actually get a say in what goes on. They actually ask about what's going on with us and…and they listen! And they care and they yell and they remember shit that's important to us and it's so fucking weird but awesome."

"Holy shit…you have real parents now."

"I know."

"It's a miracle…just like popping your man cherry before 40 will be, you old fashioned maiden, you."

"Go fuck yourself. Better yet, go and convince Amber to fuck you as a substitute for me."

"I just might do that…"

_**/** _

There was another, critical reason that 16 year old Fitzgerald "Gerry" Thomas Grant IV didn't want a thing to do with Queen Bee Amber and she was currently across the weight room hauling ass on a treadmill with lime green headphones in her ears.

Dexa Washington.

She had transferred to the Academy the previous year and quickly became known for her variety of braided hairstyles, her bright red lips, and her utter lack of patience for anyone's bullshit. Not to say that she wasn't nice but if you were being an idiot, she would be the first one to call you on it. Loudly. And with the eloquent diction of an Oxford scholar who had spent a few months at sea with pirates.

The read for filth she had given Kelly Masters who had said that  _ **Lolita**_  was romantic in Honors English 10B still lived in infamy and Gerry could say that it was the moment when he had started to fall hard for her.

Like father, like son, apparently. Olivia had taken his dad back to elementary school in the middle of an Iowa gymnasium and Cupid's arrow had hit him dead in the ass immediately afterwards…

"So, Dexa, huh? Don't look so shocked, Numb Nuts. You're my big brother and lately, you've been looking at her like you're a hunting lion on the Nat Geo channel…or the way that dad looks at Liv when she bends over.", his little sister greeted while picking up a nearby jump rope.

Gerry snorted and replied as he started his pull up sets, "Don't you mean when she breathes?"

"That, too. It's more than a little grody but I'll tell you, it's better to see Olitz live than watching The Incubator and Andrew be all over each other uncut. At least dad and Liv know how to be behind and lock a door when they want to fuck."

Gerry didn't really know what to make of his biological mother's relationship with his godfather. On the one hand, he was happy that Millicent had a man who truly loved her because that meant that his father was free to be with someone who truly loved him but on the other hand, there was a deep seated resentment against them both. While his father had stuck by her and endured being in a loveless political marriage, they had been sneaking around behind his back for years, lying to his face for years. His little sister who he loved dearly (despite her tendency to be an acid tongued pain in the ass sometimes…) could've easily been his half-sister, a Nichols passed off as a Grant to keep his dad underneath Millicent's thumb forever. The only reason that the truth came out was because of someone having the common sense to harvest and sequence the whole family's DNA. Who knows how long the affair with Andrew (and the other men) would've remained hidden if someone hadn't stepped up to the plate?

It was yet another thing to be grateful to Olivia Pope for.

"Did you tell dad that you saw them banging on the kitchen floor during our visit?"

"Nah. I didn't want him freaking out and after Andrew gave me a lame ass apology and "The Talk", The Incubator bought me a pack of iTunes gift cards and 4 pairs of Louboutins to keep quiet. I didn't need the stuff, I needed brain bleach but who am I to look a bribing gift horse in the mouth?"

"You're 13 years old and still growing. What are you going to do with 4 pairs of high end pumps?"

"One pair's going to Liv for her birthday and I already sold the other pairs to a trio of girls from PCA for 550 bucks each."

"550 dollars for some fucking  _ **shoes**_?!"

"They're genuine red bottoms and retail price is at minimum 800 so it was a steal…so, Dexa?"

"Dexa.", he confirmed sheepishly.

"How utterly predictable. You gonna tell her?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"She's completely out of my league and we've got a good friendship going on, Karen. I don't want to fuck it up."

"Who says that you'd fuck it up?"

"I do."

"What if you're wrong?"

"What if I'm right? Besides, we're going to be moving away next year. It wouldn't really be fair to her for us to get something started just when I'm about to be across the country."

"Gerry, this is the golden age of Skype, Gmail, Facebook, and Tumblr. Plus, as Presidential kids, I'm sure that we'll have access to a bunch of private planes, trains, and automobiles when we want them. Long distance relationships are hard, especially for teenagers, but they're not impossible. Quit being a little bitch and put yourself out there. Even if she tells you to fuck off, then you'll know where you stand with her and it's way better than living with the what-ifs."

"…who's the older sibling here again?"

"You are but that doesn't mean that I can't be smarter than you."

_**/** _

" _Remind me again why I play the fucking trumpet?_ "

"It's part of your family's rich musical heritage and you're really good at it."

" _I don't_ _ **feel**_ _very good at it right now…why the fuck did Ms. J have to pick 'The Green Hornet Theme' and why did she have to give me the first trumpet part? Memorizing the articulation alone gives me an ulcer and I'm nowhere near the actual tempo."_

"See the second part of my answer to your first lament."

" _Don't make come over there and shove that tenor sax up your ass, Fitzgerald!_ "

Frowning at the crack in her voice, Gerry set down his instrument and went to the brass section of the orchestra pit. Dexa's tearful amber eyes met his eyes and he used a gentle thumb to wipe the away the ones that had already fallen.

"What's wrong?"

"I just said what's wrong."

"Dexa…"

"Drop it, Fitzgerald."

"No. Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"I'm on the rag."

"Liar. You're not due for your cycle for another week. Try again."

"How do you…"

"The same reason how I know when Karen's is supposed to show up. You're two girls that I spend the majority of my time with and am secure enough in my masculinity to admit I'm afraid of so I keep track so you don't literally throw me under the bus if I crack an ill timed joke."

"Oh, I know you're secure in your masculinity. Any man can fearlessly rock painted toenails during a beach volleyball game with a bunch of jeering roid heads…"

"I was bored one night and I figured 'why not? If I can paint my fingernails, I can do my toes'. You're avoiding the question. What's wrong? Why were you crying? Did somebody hurt you?"

"…not yet."

"Not yet?"

"There's this guy. I really like him but I'm afraid to tell him because he might turn me down."

Hurt slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer but Gerry kept his composure. Knowing that Dexa was interested in another guy was painful but he wanted her to be happy. All he really wanted at the end of the day was for her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him,  _ **especially**_  if it wasn't with him…

"He won't turn you down. Not unless he's taken or gay."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You're brilliant. You're hilarious. You're talented. You're kind. You're passionate about the things and people you believe in and you're a fucking knockout. He won't turn you down. He'll be lucky to have you. Anyone would be lucky to have you."

"… _even you?_ "

He was dreaming. He had fallen asleep in the back of World History again and someone would be waking him up any second now…

"I was crying earlier because I've had feelings for you for a while and I've so been afraid to tell you. You're my best friend and I don't want to fuck that up. Plus, you're about to be all the way on the other side of the country in a new school with new friends and new girls and I just…"

He wasn't dreaming.

He wasn't dreaming.

He wasn't  _ **dreaming!**_

He had to…

She tasted sweet, a little salty from tears but sweet. Her hands went to his cheeks and his eyes snapped open in surprise as she slipped her tongue into his mouth but they drifted shut happily. His heart raced in his chest like it was going to explode and the chair creaked as he pulled her onto his lap. Dexa gasped as they parted for air and looked up at him with disbelief before…

" _ **Ow!**_ "

"So I'm awake, then?"

Gerry chuckled and nodded, rubbing the sting from his uniform slack clad thigh. She stood up and he followed her, embracing her tenderly.

"You've got my lipstick all over your mouth and on your cheeks, too."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Fuckin' A."

"Okay. So, um…I'd really like to be your girlfriend."

"I'd really like to be your boyfriend, even after I move to D.C."

"Really? It's gonna be difficult…"

"Dexa, I'm about to be the son of the Leader of the Free World and I inherited the Grant man singlemindness. As long as you're willing to meet me halfway, then I will fight hard for us to stay together. I'll be here for another year but then…

"I'm more than willing to put the work in and you better come and visit me often,  _ **querido**_  because there are some things you just can't do long distance."

 


	6. Chapter 6

**CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #16- (Follow up to D.D.s #1, 3, 5, 8, and 14, The Trail, AU, Fitz, Olivia, Mellie, Andrew, FTGIV and Karen, OCs abound, established Olitz, Mew, and FTGIV/OC(Dexa), family dynamics, step family dynamics)**

****Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"** **

 

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #14**

"… _I'm not making the same mistakes dad did with The Incubator. It all worked out in the end because now he's got Olivia and she's made entirely of awesome but I'm not going to go through 15 years of politically sound yet emotionally toxic purgatory before I can find and be with the right woman. Fuck that shit."_

_"Who said anything about being a relationship? I'm talking about getting laid…"_

_"Well, that's what makes us different, my friend. I'm not saving it for marriage but I'm not giving it up to the first pretty girl that wants it, either. When I start having sex, I want to be attracted to_ **_all_ ** _the parts of my partner, not just her ass…"_

_"…you're a damned fool, man and I'm gonna miss the shit outta you when you and K.G. move to D.C. with your dad and your de facto step momma. You're going with them, aren't you?"_

_"Not yet. We're going to wait until he's been in office a year before doing the Big Move. We'll come out to D.C. for breaks and the occasional state dinner but we'll be here mainly. Dad and Liv let us choose to stay and it's trippy as hell. I mean, for years, it was like "you two brats stay on the back shelf in the closet far, far away until it's time for the tap dance number" and now, we actually get a say in what goes on. They actually ask about what's going on with us and…and they listen! And they care and they yell and they remember shit that's important to us and it's so fucking weird but awesome."_

_"Holy shit…you have real parents now."_

_"I know."_

_"It's a miracle…"_

… _Gerry didn't really know what to make of his biological mother's relationship with his godfather. On the one hand, he was happy that Millicent had a man who truly loved her because that meant that his father was free to be with someone who truly loved him but on the other hand, there was a deep seated resentment against them both. While his father had stuck by her and endured being in a loveless political marriage, they had been sneaking around behind his back for years, lying to his face for years. His little sister who he loved dearly (despite her tendency to be an acid tongued pain in the ass sometimes…) could've easily been his half-sister, a Nichols passed off as a Grant to keep his dad underneath Millicent's thumb forever. The only reason that the truth came out was because of someone having the common sense to harvest and sequence the whole family's DNA. Who knows how long the affair with Andrew (and the other men) would've remained hidden if someone hadn't stepped up to the plate?_

_It was yet another thing to be grateful to Olivia Pope for…_

"… _so, Dexa?"_

_"Dexa.", he confirmed sheepishly._

_"How utterly predictable. You gonna tell her?"_

_"Why?"_

_"Why not?"_

_"She's completely out of my league and we've got a good friendship going on, Karen. I don't want to fuck it up."_

_"Who says that you'd fuck it up?"_

_"I do."_

_"What if you're wrong?"_

_"What if I'm right? Besides, we're going to be moving away next year. It wouldn't really be fair to her for us to get something started just when I'm about to be across the country."_

_"Gerry, this is the golden age of Skype, Gmail, Facebook, and Tumblr. Plus, as Presidential kids, I'm sure that we'll have access to a bunch of private planes, trains, and automobiles when we want them. Long distance relationships are hard, especially for teenagers, but they're not impossible. Quit being a little bitch and put yourself out there. Even if she tells you to fuck off, then you'll know where you stand with her and it's way better than living with the what-ifs."_

_"…who's the older sibling here again?"_

_"You are but that doesn't mean that I can't be smarter than you…"_

… _Dexa gasped as they parted for air and looked up at him with disbelief before…_

_"_ **_Ow!_ ** _"_

_"So I'm awake, then?"_

_Gerry chuckled and nodded, rubbing the sting from his uniform slack clad thigh. She stood up and he followed her, embracing her tenderly._

_"You've got my lipstick all over your mouth and on your cheeks, too."_

_"Good."_

_"Good?"_

_"Fuckin' A."_

_"Okay. So, um…I'd really like to be your girlfriend."_

_"I'd really like to be your boyfriend, even after I move to D.C."_

_"Really? It's gonna be difficult…"_

_"Dexa, I'm about to be the son of the Leader of the Free World and I inherited the Grant man singlemindness. As long as you're willing to meet me halfway, then I will fight hard for us to stay together. I'll be here for another year but then…_

_"I'm more than willing to put the work in and you better come and visit me often,_ **_querido_ ** _because there are some things you just can't do long distance…"_

* * *

" _ **Good Morning America! It's Wednesday, November 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **2008, and we have a new President…"**_

" _ **Grant took 74% of the popular vote… dominated the electoral college…even with the loss of Ohio to Governor Samuel Reston of Maryland…"**_

" _ **Republican Candidate Governor Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III of California has been elected to be the 44**_ _ **th**_ _ **President of the United States of America…"**_

" _ **...celebrated his win by laying a rather impressive kiss on Olivia Pope and it seems that he is not the only Grant man with…"**_

"… _ **Baby Boy Grant is officially down with the swirl! That's right, ladies and gentlemen…Fitzgerald Thomas Grant IV is off of the market and not only is he with a black girl, he's with a brilliant little knockout…this picture of them was posted to his little sister's Facebook page shortly after his dad won the Election…aren't they adorable? I think they're adorable…"**_

" _ **Like father, like son…"**_

"… _ **Dexa Elizabeth Washington...16 year old only daughter of TruBlue Cosmetics CEO Beatrix Sanchez-Washington and Nathanial Washington VII. of the 80 year old Washington Import/Export Company based out of San Francisco…"**_

* * *

**9 Days Later…**

"Did you ask her yet?"

"No."

"For Christ's sake, Gerry!"

"Shut up, Karen!"

"Don't you tell me to shut up for calling you out on being a little bitch again! It's just dinner and a weekend at the Ranch, not a walk down the aisle! What's the big deal?"

"Karen…"

"Fitzgerald, are you serious about making this thing with Dexa work?"

"Yes."

"Has she pulled away from you since the Press and Social Media picked up on your connection? The tweeters and Tumblr are calling you two GerDex, by the way…"

"I know that and no, she hasn't…I just…The Incubator and Andrew are going to be there, too. If it was just Dad and Liv, I wouldn't be worried because I know that they'd be cool, despite Cyrus' bitching about my timing and the Optics…"

"The angry old penguin can blow it out of his ass. He's worried that the almighty Base will be pissed off that you're with Dex but meanwhile, he's not worried about being dad's CoS while rolling in the hay and between the sheets with a reporter barely half of his age…a  _ **dude**_  reporter."

"Seriously?"

"Like the Black Plague, big brother. Do you remember James Novak?"

"Was he the nice guy from the  _ **Post**_  with the Buddy Holly glasses and the unfortunate mouth-breathing asthma that we met in Miami?"

"That would be the one and that's who Cyrus is messing with on the down low. Well, not really because if I know, then everyone else certainly does. Don't get me wrong, Quatro. I care about Cyrus. I really do. Hell, he's practically family but he seriously needs to learn how to shut his big mouth and stay in his lane about personal Optics things that don't directly concern him. Dad and Liv are awesome, you and Dexa are awesome, and he should just come out of the closet and be done with it. It's not like Dad's gonna throw him out with the dirty dishwater and that's the only person who really matters in D.C. since he's The Big Giant Cheese now. Look, either you ask Dexa to come over and play by lunchtime or I'm gonna do it and I'll make sure that she knows that you were being a complete chickenshit about it. She's on the second level in the main gym doing her morning cardio hula hooping thing. Scram."

"…do you get some sort of sick pleasure from busting my balls all the time?"

"I'm your little sister, Numb Nuts. It's part of my job to kick you in the balls when you need it and if I didn't love your idiot ass so much, I'd keep quiet and let you fuck up all of the good things in your life because you're too busy dwelling in your own head to enjoy them fully. Introspection is good, Quatro but you can't let your brain have the wheel all the time. Let your heart and your Gut have a turn every once in a while. Now, seriously…scram. I have work to do. Go away."

Work being a large mosaic of the Great Seal that his 13 year old sister was determined to finish in time for Inauguration Day. While he had taken solace in music and his now trademark Goth/Hipster look, Karen had thrown herself into mathematics and art. She focused mainly on ceramics but there were stacks upon stacks of sketchbooks, deep wooden boxes full of various supplies. Karen was determined to be an animator if sculpting didn't work out but Gerry was sure that it would. Whatever she wanted to do with her life would not only work out, she'd be the best.

His little sister was just that good.

Pressing a kiss to the crown of her bent head and dodging the half hearted swipe at his arm, 16 year old Fitzgerald "Gerry" Thomas Grant IV left Art Room II and started downstairs. Fridays at the Academy were free days. There were a few classes offered but mostly, it was the start of the weekend and time to decide whether a student would stay on campus or go home until Monday morning. For the longest time, he and Karen were on the list to stay permanently but now…Nate's words at lunchtime still resonated with him. They had real parents, now. They had real parents who cared and who would be sad and worried if he and Karen didn't come home. Their father had always worried about them and even at the worst times, he and Karen never doubted that they were loved by him but…The Incubator.

Karen had started calling Millicent "The Incubator" from her 3rd grade science class on. There had been an Academy wide thing with baby chickens and Karen had mentioned that Millicent was just like the incubator the eggs rested in. They were in a safe, warm place to be nurtured until hatch day and then, the incubator was taken away and the babies were left pretty much on their own to survive. At first, Gerry had scolded her for doing it, trying to give Millicent the benefit of the doubt, but as time passed and the Grant marriage withered further and further towards ash…

Gerry rationally knew that his father had to have contributed to the decline of their marriage somehow. Just like it took two people to make a relationship work, it also took two people to destroy it. However, the majority of the blame, the majority of the burning resentment in his heart he felt for a stunted childhood and his father's bone deep pre-Olivia Pope misery rested squarely on his biological mother's shoulders. The blame was put on her shoulders and the shoulders of every man that she put her legs over, especially Andrew Nichols. His "Uncle Andrew" had been having a physical and emotional affair with Millicent for years and had lied to his father's face the whole time. His father had to have confided in the man about what was and wasn't going on between him and Millicent. The man had listened, became godfather to his firstborn, and the whole time, practically the whole time, had been thirsting after his wife (in name only) and drinking from her well when she permitted him to.

His little sister could've been his half sister. The fact that she wasn't, the fact that Karen Marie Grant was truly Karen Marie Grant instead of Karen Marie Nichols was one of the few things that kept him from cutting his biological mother out of his life completely.

Another thing, another surprising person in the situation, was Olivia Pope.

Why he was still surprised was anyone's guess. Olivia Pope had a way with people, particularly with Grants, that could bring them in line before they plunged over a cliff of ego driven self destruction and/or delusion. Olivia had come onto his father's campaign and it had been like airing out an old house for the first time in decades. Gerry had initially been wary of her, Karen had been disdainful, and both of them had questioned her sincerity from the start, especially when she engaged with them. What was her angle? Everyone had an angle, everyone had an agenda, and no one hesitated to leech off of their father when they could. What could a woman like her want with a RINO long shot, his dead marriage, and his children's drama?

Olivia had proven to be loyal. Olivia had proven to be genuinely interested and kind to both of them, regardless of Media cameras. Olivia had attached herself to their father, not as a leech but as someone who really wanted to help him, as a real friend, as a real protector…

Honestly, if his father and Olivia had started their romantic relationship earlier than they did, before the DNA bombshell interviews exposed Millicent for the fraudulent wife and mother she was, then Gerry would've been just fine with it, as would have Karen because the only thing Olivia Pope wanted from their father was for him to be his genuine self, Election be damned, and to be happy.

That was her angle and it was a damned good angle, one that was still paying off richly…

Entering the main gym, Gerry could see a pack of various sports players looking up at the second level and he joined them, already knowing what he'd see.

Dexa was absorbed in whatever music that was playing in her lime green ear buds and her silver sparkly hula hoop followed the slow, near hypnotic rhythm of her full hips and strong core. What gave him pause (other than the soft smile playing at her cranberry red lips) was the fact that she was wearing one of his lacrosse jerseys over her black leggings. The navy blue and silver shirt was tied to expose her diamond studded innie navel and the fact she had 'GRANT' emblazoned on her back made Gerry's blood run hot in all the best ways.

"I still don't how the fuck you did it, Quatro. You caught Dexa Washington…" Nate Overton greeted him at the bottom of the left stairs with their usual fist bump.

"She caught me, not the other way around. I didn't do shit."

"Still…no wonder you turned Amber down. Good thing you did, too. She's absolutely horrible in bed…"

"Oh, like you're Don Juan de fucking Marco around here? Get over yourself, moron. Did you at least use protection?"

"Of course. I'm not ready to be somebody's baby daddy, especially Amber's. She's nuts and you were right about her ass. It's as fake as the cheese on Cheetos."

" _ **I**_  could've told you that and saved you the disappointment, Nathan…show's over,  _ **pendejos**_!"

Gerry laughed at the way the pack of horny toads quickly got back to whatever they were doing and Dexa rested her hula hoop on the bottom bleacher bench. She had taken her braids out of the top knot and he tenderly brushed a few out of her cat like sienna eyes before accepting her greeting kiss on the lips.

"It's all right if I borrowed your shirt?"

"It's all right if you  _ **keep**_  my shirt. What are you doing this weekend?"

"Nothing. Mami and Papi are in Guadalajara visiting my abuelita so I was going to chill here with my Netflix."

"Do you want to come to the Ranch for the weekend?"

"Will I be meeting your parents during this weekend?"

"Yeah…Dad and Liv are really cool, Dex. They won't cause any trouble and The Incubator already knows that she's on very thin ice with me and K.G. If she's smart, she'll keep her mouth shut or at least attach it to Andrew's the whole time. Look, dinner is likely going to be an awkward as shit mess but I'm not going to hide you from anyone. I'm not ashamed of you or us and I want you to meet my family, as fucked up as it is. Will you come?"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Fuckin' A. I'll even bring my guacamole and some empanadas."

"Good."

_**/** _

"She's definitely sleeping in Karen's room."

"Oh, I know that! Dad, we're not… I'm not…we're not…Dad, we just got together like 5 minutes ago and I'm not…I…we…no, not yet…we…we…we're not having…yet. Dex and I want to wait. Well, more like _ **I**_  want to wait. Is that bad?"

"Absolutely not."

"I get a lot of shit for it…"

"Language. Gerry, it's okay if you're not ready. It really is. There's nothing weird about it."

"I know that but everyone's so shocked when I mention that I'm not having sex yet. They're all like, "…but you're a Grant man!" and I get it. We're known for politics and horniness but…I just…I don't know. I just want it to be…special. I want it to be with the right woman at the right time. Somehow, I've managed to find the right woman but the right time hasn't come yet. How'd you know that it was the right time with Liv?"

"I didn't know, not really but she did know and then she proceeded to let me know that she knew in the middle of a Georgia hotel corridor."

"That's disgusting, Dad…that  _ **image**_ …"

"You asked…son, I know that this is cliché but the only advice I can give you is that when you know, you know. Just follow her lead and don't be afraid to be honest with her."

"Even if I sound lame, stupid, or weird?"

" _ **Especially**_  if you sound lame, stupid, or weird. Women appreciate honesty. She has to be able to trust you and you have to be able to trust her. Without trust, there's no relationship."

"Speaking of relationships, I've yet to hear Big Jerry weigh in on me and Dexa…did the shock and horror of having not one but two viable interracial relationships in the family finally plunge him into the Grant Man Heart Attack?"

"Your grandfather and Liv have an understanding. He keeps his mouth shut about anything having to do with you, me, and Karen unless prompted and he gets to keep his little black book out of the hands of TMZ."

"Thank God she's on our side…don't screw it up, Old Man. You'll never do any better."

"I know. So, tell me about Dexa. What's she like?"

_**/** _

"What are you doing?"

" _I am hiding my face in your neck and chastely cuddling you on my little sister's pull out bed._ "

"Why?"

" _I missed you, you're nice and soft, and you smell really good._ "

"Dinner will be done soon."

" _I know. Liv's finishing up the turkey meatloaf and Dad made Angel Food cake._ "

"Your mother is here."

" _I know._ "

"She's already caught up with K.G. She's going to want to see you, too and meet me."

" _I know._ "

"…Fitzgerald, you can't hide up here forever."

" _Why not?_ "

"Other than the fact that it's your house and you shouldn't feel like you have to hide in your own house?"

" _Other than that._ "

" _ **Querido**_ , you said that you wanted me to meet your whole fucked up family and to eat dinner."

" _You already met my family. You met Dad and Liv and you already know Karen. That's the family that matters._ "

"Fitzgerald…"

" _You don't understand…_ "

"Enlighten me, then."

"… _she_ _ **ruins**_ _things. Millicent ruins things. She makes people uncomfortable and unhappy and she ruins things._ "

"She is still your biological mother and I want to meet her. No one will ruin us except for us. It's  _ **our**_ relationship, not hers or anyone else's. There's more to it. Tell me. Tell me all of what's troubling you, Fitzgerald."

With a jagged sigh, Gerry raised his head from her neck and looked at her head on.

"…every time I see Andrew, I want to fucking punch him. Dad may not be mad at him anymore but I am. I really am. He was my father's best friend. They go way back, like Pre-K back and he just…how could he do that to him? How could fuck his best friend and brother's wife off and on for 12 years and stay quiet about it? He could've…he  _ **should've**_ said something. Dexa, it was…everything was so hollow before. Everyone was so unhappy. I can't even remember a time when Dad and Millicent were happy together and she…Andrew just…it's not fair. How can she claim that she sacrificed everything and then go out and fuck another man, fuck his best friend at that? How could she sit there and make Dad feel like he was the one ruining their marriage when she was the one who threw it away first? How am I supposed to look at her and not resent her for the fucked up childhood Karen and I had to go through? It's just…she ruins things. I know she won't ruin us but I…she doesn't deserve to know anything about who I am now. She wasn't around for the bad times so she shouldn't get to be around for the good. It's not fair."

Gentle fingertips wiped his frustrated tears away and Gerry sighed as she ran her fingers tenderly through his plum purple highlighted brown mop top. Bending down, he captured her strawberry red lips in a tender kiss and Dexa let her free hand stroke his side, wrinkling the material of his dark gray Rage Against the Machine t-shirt. Tentatively, he let his hands span her waist and he squeezed her tenderly, accepting her tongue into his mouth. She was in a coral and white polka dotted tank top and a black maxi skirt, a skirt that rode up slightly as she reversed their positions…

" _Gerry, Dexa…dinner's ready!_ "

Slowly, he broke the kiss and called back, "On our way, Dad!"

Dexa climbed out of the pull out bed and extended a hand to him.

He accepted it immediately and led her to the balcony doors, following the sound of everyone settling in the outdoor dining area. Looking at her, Gerry was fortified by his Dexa's reassuring smile and he pushed open the sliding French doors.

He could do this.

They could do this.

Together.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**(** **CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #23-(Follow to D.D.s #1,3,5,8,14, and 16, The Trail/First Term AU, Fitz, Olivia, FTGIV and Karen, Cyrus, OCs abound, established Olitz and FTGIV/OC(Dexa), mentioned past Mellitz Zombie, past Edison/Olivia, pre-Karen/OC, and established Cyrus/James, family dynamics, step family dynamics))**

****Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"** **

 

**PS: From this story forward, please cast in your mind a brown with fill-in-the-blank colored streak mop topped Evan Peters (of AHS fame) as FTGIV. If you do a side by side with him and The Admiral, dude definitely should've been cast as canon FTGIV. And both of them could get it on the kitchen floor if they wanted it from me, to be honest. Also, instead of Mary Mouser, Karen is Madeline Carroll. I like both actresses but S3 Karen looks more like a child from Fitz and Mellie than S4 Karen. Although, K.G. in here definitely has S4 Karen's temperament sans the questionable taste in boys, party animal ways and disrespect towards her father and Liv. Her Incubator, however…yeah…**

 

**Excerpt from Draftbook Drabble #16...**

_"_ **_Good Morning America! It's Wednesday, November 5th_ ** **_2008, and we have a new President…"_ **

_"_ **_Grant took 74% of the popular vote… dominated the electoral college…even with the loss of Ohio to Governor Samuel Reston of Maryland…"_ **

_"_ **_Republican Candidate Governor Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III of California has been elected to be the 44th_ ** **_President of the United States of America…"_ **

_"_ **_...celebrated his win by laying a rather impressive kiss on Olivia Pope and it seems that he is not the only Grant man with…"_ **

_"…_ **_Baby Boy Grant is officially down with the swirl! That's right, ladies and gentlemen…Fitzgerald Thomas Grant IV is off of the market and not only is he with a black girl, he's with a brilliant little knockout…this picture of them was posted to his little sister's Facebook page shortly after his dad won the Election…aren't they adorable? I think they're adorable…"_ **

_"_ **_Like father, like son…"_ **

_"…_ **_Dexa Elizabeth Washington...16 year old only daughter of TruBlue Cosmetics CEO Beatrix Sanchez-Washington and Nathanial Washington VII. of the 80 year old Washington Import/Export Company based out of San Francisco…"_ **

"… _If it was just Dad and Liv, I wouldn't be worried because I know that they'd be cool, despite Cyrus' bitching about my timing and the Optics…"_

_"The angry old penguin can blow it out of his ass. He's worried that the almighty Base will be pissed off that you're with Dex but meanwhile, he's not worried about being dad's CoS while rolling in the hay and between the sheets with a reporter barely half of his age…a_ **_dude_ ** _reporter."_

_"Seriously?"_

_"Like the Black Plague, big brother. Do you remember James Novak?"_

_"Was he the nice guy from the_ **_Post_ ** _with the Buddy Holly glasses and the unfortunate mouth-breathing asthma that we met in Miami?"_

_"That would be the one and that's who Cyrus is messing with on the down low. Well, not really because if I know, then everyone else certainly does. Don't get me wrong, Quatro. I care about Cyrus. I really do. Hell, he's practically family but he seriously needs to learn how to shut his big mouth and stay in his lane about personal Optics things that don't directly concern him. Dad and Liv are awesome, you and Dexa are awesome, and he should just come out of the closet and be done with it. It's not like Dad's gonna throw him out with the dirty dishwater and that's the only person who really matters in D.C. since he's The Big Giant Cheese now…_ _"_

_"…_ **_Querido_ ** _, you said that you wanted me to meet your whole fucked up family and to eat dinner."_

" _You already met my family. You met Dad and Liv and you already know Karen._ _ **That's the family that matters...**_ "

* * *

 

**Inauguration Day- 2 Hours after the Ceremony/7 Hours before the Main Inaugural Ball…**

"… _so, when are you going to resign your post?"_

" _ **Excuse me?**_ _"_

" _You're excused. You just stood here and in 10 minutes completely disrespected me, and you did it claiming that if I don't change my ways and looks, if don't become more traditional, then Dad will be impeached or stonewalled by the hyper traditional and conservative factions of his Party for the rest of his Presidency. Yet, you stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the overwhelming and shameful fact that your being gay and in a "secret" relationship with James Novak, a well known liberal investigative reporter while you are the White House Chief of Staff is a_ _ **much**_ _more problematic thing to Them than their President having a straight firstborn son that just happens to enjoy wearing kilts, painting his nails, gymnastics, cooking, and sewing. My father can't change how I express my individuality nor does he wish to, thank God but he_ _ **can**_ _change who his Chief of Staff is in the name of your precious Optics and Base. So, I ask you again, Cyrus, when are you going to resign your post?"_

" _I…"_

" _Answer the question, Cyrus. I want to know, too."_

" _Karen, I…"_

" _You need to answer him and then you need to go and talk to our parents about your sick need to stick your nose in family business that doesn't concern you before midnight or this video will be posted and it_ _ **will**_ _go viral. I've already got a title in mind: Bitter Beene Slams POTUS' Free Spirited Firstborn. It rolls off of the tongue nicely, don't you think?"_

" _Karen…"_

" _For every action taken, there are consequences to be faced. We learned that in Pre-K. You have drifted out of your lane again and while DNA proves we are our father's children, despite The Incubator sitting on anyone's cock that smells like political treasure, unlike him, we're not going to put up with your conniving ways more than necessary. We have no reason to. Your little intervention was not necessary at all._ _ **My brother is just fine as he is**_ _and you have_ _ **no**_ _right to try and police his life when you're too much of a chickenshit bitch baby to hold hands with your boyfriend in public. Oh, I'm sorry…_ _ **alleged**_ _boyfriend. God forbid that anyone gets confirmation that you love and are human because then the whole damned world would end."_

" _Isn't it exhausting hiding who you really are? I mean, I get that you had to do it back in the day but you don't have to do it now. Dad won't throw you out on your ass because of your sexual orientation and he likes James. He might throw you out on your ass for what just happened but Mom will talk him out of doing it if you're straight with them. He listens to her before anyone, even God."_

" _ **Mom?**_ _You mean Olivia, right? He means Olivia."_

" _Brilliant deduction, Grumpy Gay Sherlock. Look, obviously and unfortunately, Liv's not our bio-mom but she_ _ **is**_ _our Mom in all of the ways that matter. She supports us. She listens to us. She'll be silly with us and she'll help Dad discipline us without being unfair about it. She keeps us out of trouble and out of the headlines. She remembers important things like what we're allergic to, when our schoolwork's due, and what kind of music we like. She actually loves Dad for Dad himself, not for the Politics and she actually cares about me and Quatro, which other women in her position likely wouldn't. Other women would hate us on G.P. or do the bare minimum with us to keep Dad happy. Liv isn't like that. She gives a fuck about us. She gives a whole winery of barrels of fucks about us. The woman who carried us and pushed us out doesn't give a fraction of a fuck about us and Dad like Liv does. The Incubator_ _ **never**_ _loved us or Dad unconditionally. She only pretended to in the name of the almighty Optics and for the sake of her own personal political power plays."_

" _And Millicent didn't put that much effort in pretending…Olivia Pope is our mother, Cyrus and we love her dearly, just as much as we love Dad, if not a little bit more. It's really not that shocking, all things considering…"_

* * *

 

**March 2008**

17 year old Fitzgerald Thomas "Gerry" Grant IV knew that he currently looked like an extra out of  **Fight Club**  or a Quentin Tarantino movie.

He looked horrible.

Both sets of knuckles were mangled underneath white bandages, oozing blood in places and scabbing over in others. A deepening black and blue bruise extended from the apple of his right cheek to the corner of his lips. His lower lip was split, scabbing over but still, there was an angry red mark. His Grant for the People t-shirt was ripped in the sleeve, revealing more bruises and stained with blood from his swollen nose. His boots were off, revealing his bare calves and royal purple painted toenails on his bare feet. His bruised knees were exposed by his black and blue Clan Grant tartan and he could feel his left ankle stiffen up as time passed, an indication that it may be sprained again. He'd have to check with a doctor after he got to DC.

Of course, he and his sister had been suspended for a month and a half. All of the combatants had been, which was fair and they had requested to do their time with their parents in the Capital. The California Ranch was nice and had plenty of staff to look after them (not that they really needed it) but they wanted to be with their parents.

Turning his head slowly, he took in his equally stoic and battered little sister.

Karen's white uniform dress shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a pale gray tank top underneath, both tops stained with blood from her nose and from their shared opponent's girlfriend. Her knuckles were bruised and her palms flushed pink from slapping. Her right eye was swollen almost shut and like him, her lower lip was cut. Her gray uniform skirt was wrinkled from clutching hands with a damp spot from the icepack resting on her right thigh. Her white tights were ripped and ran almost to ribbons. Unlike him, she was only wearing one of her boots. The other had been thrown with brutal precision at the charging head cheerleader's nose, breaking it and leaving her crying on the cafeteria floor.

Karen met his gaze and a slow, bloodthirsty smirk curved her 14 year old lips upwards.

"No regrets."

Gerry nodded solemnly in agreement and looked away, resting his head against the cool painted brick of the headmaster office's waiting area.

"Do you think anyone will press serious charges?"

"No. It was on film with audio. Everyone knows that they started it. We just ended it. Likely, we'll have to do community service, pay a hefty fine and maybe do a little probation for good measure. After all, they've got to show that Presidential kids aren't immune to the law."

"That's true. Still, even without getting felonies on our records, we're gonna be grounded until the end of time, Quatro or at least until the end of the summer."

"I know."

"And it's gonna be a hot topic from BNN to the fish wrap mags."

"I know."

"We made an Optical mess."

"We did."

"We beat up the star QB and the head cheerleader."

"We did."

"I mean, we limped away but Trevor's still in the infirmary and Amber's nose…it looked like a whoopee cushion."

"Mm…or a blue corn tortilla."

"We're in deep shit. What we did was the morally right thing to do but we're still in deep shit."

"I know."

"And once Dad and Mom are done calling us to the carpet, Dex is gonna come back from Vancouver and chap both of our asses raw in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Did you know that she speaks Arabic?"

"Farsi. It's Farsi. Her Uncle Rico has an antiquity contact in Tehran and he taught her when she was 6."

"Big Sister is brilliant as fuck."

"I know. That's why I fell for her."

"That and she's got curves that'll resurrect the dead."

"Don't you be looking at my woman's curves, K.G."

"I'm an artist, Numb Nuts. Artists appreciate beauty of all types and on all persons. Don't worry about it. I'm quite straight and I already have someone in my sights. And even if I was bi or a lesbian, I'd never go after Dex. It would be lowdown and proxy incestuous. Ick."

"Mm. The Grant family tree is already fucked up enough without that Dueling Banjos  **Deliverance**  bullshit…no regrets?"

"No regrets,  _ **ev-er**_."

Despite split lips and growing headaches, both of them grinned and giggled.

Their bandaged fists bumped, their thumbs hooked, and they pulled their hands apart with a soft snap of the fingers. Their secret handshake had originated when he was 9 and she was 7 during a fish fry. Over the years, it was used to celebrate and to reaffirm their loyalty to each other.

Just because they had real parents now, just because their family was an actual family now and not just a political caricature, did not erase the years where they had nothing but the other in their corner. Their father had tried valiantly to be there for them but with the duties and responsibilities of his position while trying to maintain the twisted zombie that had been #Mellitz…thankfully, things had changed and for the better.

There had been a lot of changes in the Grant family. Starting from the DNA drama involving their biological mother and the divorce to the establishment of #Olitz and #GerDex (Gerry still marveled at the fact that he was one-half of a real life OTP), there was food for thought. Some of the thoughts were good. Some of them were very progressive. Some of them were wary and inevitably, there were very angry, very nasty, very ignorant people who wanted to express their negative opinions loudly. Trevor Michaels and Amber Millhouse fell deep into the last category.

Amber still had an axe to grind against him for turning her down and the blonde Queen Bee had already despised Dexa Washington before they had started dating. Dexa was bold, brash, beautiful, and brilliant. She didn't shrink back from anyone and she refused to kiss ass, even if it meant she was unpopular. She wore whatever she wanted to wear. She said whatever she wanted to say. Even though she wasn't popular, she was still respected by both students and staff, something Amber never managed to do. Amber was the Queen Bee on paper and to her immediate circle but overall, she was a joke, a  **Mean Girls**  caricature. The teachers either didn't pass her or passed her just to get rid of her and her foul attitude. Dexa was everything Amber wasn't and the blonde just hated her.

Trevor didn't like Gerry because Gerry just didn't give a fuck about being different. Gerry didn't give a fuck about being popular. Gerry didn't give a fuck about his political and social capital. Gerry didn't give a fuck about traditional gender roles. Gerry walked around with painted nails and was the assistant tailor for the Music department. Gerry was also known for his brutal defense on the lacrosse field and for being responsible for Dexa sometimes looking dreamy with smeared red lipstick in the hallway. Gerry had managed to snag Dexa in the first place, something that he had tried to do since she arrived and had failed miserably. Gerry was a Grant, the son of the President and he was just…Trevor was confused by Gerry and that confusion led to jealous anger against him, egged on by his loving girlfriend Amber.

Both Trevor and Amber came from money. Trevor's was Old Antebellum. Amber's had been made during the Silicon Valley boom. Both sets of parents had given them everything they wanted and made them feel as if they could pass judgment on everyone and everything that didn't fit into an acceptable, traditional, white bread America mould…

Both of them had come to the table where Gerry and Karen had been eating, looking to start a verbal or physical confrontation. They didn't care. They just wanted to make sure that they knew that just because they were the President's kids didn't mean that they weren't still freaks. Since it was nothing new, both of them had managed to ignore the idiotic pair easily, incensing them further.

As soon as they had brought up Olivia and Dexa as a negative, things had escalated quickly.

Like all bullies and predators, once the weak spot had been found, Amber and Trevor kept at it.

The louder Trevor and Amber got, the quieter the Grant kids had gotten, drawing eyes (and phone cameras) to the growing scene. The situation had exploded when Trevor finally just slugged Gerry and their fight had been on. Loyal to her man, Amber had grabbed Karen by the hair and punched her in the eye. Eventually, it had degenerated into a melee of fists, feet, and in Karen's case, a shoe. After Amber was down, she had leapt onto Trevor's back and sank her teeth into his shoulder, forcing him to break the half nelson he had Gerry in. Eventually, three teachers and the head nurse had forced their way through the crowd to break it up.

Amber had run off crying, leaving her Trevie-Bear behind, and the QB was lying on the floor howling like a toddler, accusing the crazy Grant children of jumping him, much to the disdain of the spectators…

The side door opened and in walked SSAs Daniel Benson and Hal Rimbeau, immediately followed by a white maxi sundress adorned Olivia Pope.

_**/** _

Looking at the two exhausted teenagers, Olivia remembered a Calvin and Hobbes quote that fit the current situation perfectly.

' **Being a parent means wanting to hug and wanting to strangle your kid at the same time'**

Knowing that Karen and Gerry had willingly gotten into a fight, especially since they were so high profile made her want to scream. What had they been thinking? Had they been thinking at all? Also, knowing that part of the reason that Karen and Gerry had willingly gotten into a fight to defend her made her want to hold onto them as tightly as their various wounds would allow her to. Seeing them hurt and sad made her feel a pressing need to do something, to yell at the little shits who hurt them or at least make the Headmaster piss himself in terror.

With as much money as they was shelling out for their tuition and board, the kids should be able to be themselves without being picked on by two little assholes. How long have they been bullied? Why hadn't someone informed her or their father of the situation? Why hadn't they just kept it a verbal confrontation or gotten a teacher? All right, they had been defending themselves but still, fighting was bad. Fighting in public and with such brutality was worse. What had they been thinking? Had they been thinking at all? Where were the little bastards who provoked the situation? They better not get off scot free or she'd rip them apart for hurting her babies…

It was a very confusing emotional cocktail but according to Fitz Grant III, it was just par the course for parenting.

Her POTUS paramour hadn't said it outright but Olivia knew that he wasn't angry at the kids' actions. Not even a little bit. Fitz was proud of them. He put on a good amount of bluster to calm an apoplectic Cyrus down but Olivia could see right through him. Fighting was bad. Fighting in public was worse but their hearts had been in the right place, really. Plus, knowing their father as she did, knowing Grants as she did, as soon as their loved ones were put on blast, a fight had been a foregone conclusion. Olivia wasn't exactly angry at them. She was annoyed at the Optical mess they had made and concerned about their physical wellbeings (not to mention their academics) but she wasn't angry.

Okay, she was a little angry but angry was buried underneath concern and genuine affection…

"C'mere. Both of you."

Karen was 5'6. Gerry was 5'11. Olivia was in leopard print flats so she was at her true height of 5'4. Karen was able to hide her half of her face in Olivia's red cardigan covered shoulder but Gerry's cheek was resting on top of her head. Mindful of any torso bruises, the hug was gentle but it was tight enough to be comforting. There would have to be some sort of discipline given out later on but right now, the Grant children… _ **her**_ children needed to be comforted.

" _We're really sorry, Mom._ "

Mom. Now, there was a title that she never thought would be given to her. Not from a lack of desire…contrary to popular belief, Olivia had always wanted to be a mother. It just seemed like it wasn't in the cards for her. She was driven, married to her work and plus with her taste in men, the last thing anyone needed was a child brought into the middle of a train wreck relationship. It had been a common bone of contention between her and Edison Davis. Olivia was religious about her Depo shots and wouldn't even consider letting him inside her without a condom. Edison wanted kids. He wanted to get married and he wanted kids. Olivia always said that she wasn't ready for it, which was true but really, she just didn't want to be married to  ** _him_**  or to have  ** _his_**  kids. It had taken a while for Edison to accept that but once he had, the relationship had quickly imploded.

As had become the norm, things were very different with Fitz Grant III. Not only because she was willing and eager to marry him and take him bareback and have his babies but just…Fitz had come into the relationship with children, with teenagers. They were a package deal and instead of running away, Olivia had plunged herself head first into being a positive mother figure for them. They desperately needed and wanted one. She'd never try and replace Mellie but she could be there for them. She could listen to them. She could protect them and play with them. Olivia had lost her mother at age 12 and her father was more like a Father in Name Only. She knew what it was like to feel all alone and unwanted. She didn't want that awful feeling for Karen and Gerry. She didn't want more of that awful feeling for Karen and Gerry…

Tears pricked behind her eyes as Karen began to cry and Olivia rocked slowly on her heels.

"It's all right, Kare-Bear…it's going to be all right…"

" _I want Daddy, too…can we go now?_ "

"Of course. Let's go home."

_**/** _

**Two Weeks Later…**

"You _ **loco chico blanco estúpido**_ ( **crazy stupid white boy** )…what were you thinking?! How could you be so damned stupid?! Look at you! You look  _ **mutilado**_ ( **mangled** ) and…and I was so fucking worried about you, Fitzgerald! Amber's nothing but a stupid bottle blonde flea with a big mouth but roid rage Trevor could've really hurt you! He could've killed you! You _ **and**_  K.G. and you…you…oh, you bastard!"

" _ **Lo siento ... lo siento mucho ... perdóname**_  ( **I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, forgive me** ) ...I didn't mean to scare you, Dexa…"

"You bastard! You stupid fucking bastard…"

"I'm so sorry, baby…c'mere…"

" _ **No!**_ "

Reaching for her wrist, Gerry gently urged a sobbing Dexa into his arms and she clung to him tightly, shuddering. As soon as she had gotten back to school, everyone had eagerly filled her in about what had happened, complete with visual aids. It had taken some doing but with the help of Olivia Pope (and her relatives in the area), Dexa had been put on a private jet to D.C. with her heart in her throat. It had been 2 weeks since it all went down and while the buzz was fading, she was still worried about both Grant children. She had to see for herself that they were okay.

Karen had met her at the private hangar and Dexa had hugged her tightly. She had also yelled at her but not nearly as harshly as she had just yelled at Gerry. Seeing him still bandaged and propped up by pillows in his bed had driven home that he had been hurt, made it real…

Honestly, she wasn't shocked about the fight. She was surprised that something like it hadn't happened sooner. Fitzgerald Grant IV was different. He was unashamed to be different and very secure in it, something that either intrigued someone or repulsed someone, especially teenagers. He was straight (very straight…god _ **damn**_ , was he straight!) but he did "femme" things as easily as he publicly scratched his balls, which to his credit, he didn't do very often. Mostly, it happened during long marching band rehearsals and that was completely understandable. Precision movements, remembering music and field positions, mild Californian heat turned to sauna conditions because of exertion…sometimes things would chafe and would have to be unchafed pronto.

Gerry knew how to put cosmetics on himself and others. He could hem a dress in 10 minutes. The common area kitchen of his dorm building frequently saw him in there making anything from shrimp briyani to blueberry lemon sorbet from scratch. He read all sorts of poetry and wrote it. He had even participated in the mainly girl filled Poetry Slams every first Friday night of the month and had the crowd moved to tears with some of his work. Gerry Grant was different,  _ **deliciously**_  different to her but to some, he was anything but delicious.

She had heard the whispers.

Freak.

Faggot.

Race Traitor.

Nigger Lover.

Spic Screwer…

Despite it being well into the 21st century and the growing commonality of interracial relationships, there would always be bigots and racists out there. Some would hide it in respectable language, in subtle action. Others wouldn't bother. They wanted everyone to know that they were better than anyone else and anyone who didn't fall in line was nothing but trash.

Gerry had always had a bulls-eye on him and once his dad had been elected as POTUS, once his dad had been so open with his love for Olivia Pope, once he had been so openly tender with her…the fight had been inevitable…

" _ **No te quiero perder.**_   **(I don't want to lose you.)** "

" _ **Usted prosperaría sin mí.**_ **(You would thrive without me.)** "

" _ **Yo sé que meta yo todavía no quiero perderte.**_ **(I know that but I still don't want to lose you.)**  You're my best friend and my man and I just…I know that bad things happen all of the time. I know that there are assholes everywhere that are going to hate you for who you choose to be and who your parents are but…Fitzgerald, when I heard about the fight, when Nathan showed me the video footage…I had never been so terrified in my life. You just…you mean so much to me. You and Karen are a part of my heart, now and I…don't you ever do something that stupid and reckless ever again. I know you were doing it for good reasons but…I need you to live. I need you to remain intact. Do you understand me?"

"I understand, Dexa."

"Don't do something like that again. Promise me."

"You have my word."

/

" _Are the kids asleep?_ "

"Mm-hm. Thank you for helping Dexa come see them, Liv. It's really helped."

" _Mm. And speaking of Dexa, I take it that she's still in Quatro's room and bed?_ "

"She is but all clothes were secure and all four hands were in chaste places."

" _If he's anything like you in the morning, that's gonna change fast. Hell, if_ _ **she's**_ _anything like_ _ **me**_ _in the morning, we may have to get the hose._ "

"I know. That's why I enlisted Karen to be their obnoxious alarm clock before things get too inappropriate. I don't know exactly what she's going to do but I saw her grinning evilly with her Drumline cymbals earlier so…"

Her laughter was warm and Fitz smiled fondly as she came out of their walk in closet, having just finished laying out their clothes. She was practically engulfed by his open black bathrobe and other than a thin white cotton camisole, she had on a pair of beige high cut panties with a multicolored dragonfly design. His Livvie loved dragonflies. She also loved stealing his clothes but that he didn't mind for a second.

He had been married but his relationship with Olivia was the first one where "nauseating couple things", as Cyrus dubbed them, were common. She'd steal his sweatshirts. He'd play with her hair (when she invited him to. He knew that touching a black woman's hair without her express permission was not only offensive but an invitation for a severe beat down…) and they'd eat off of each other's plates. She would pick out his ties and he'd make sure that she remembered to eat a proper meal when she burned the midnight oil. Wine and popcorn did not count as a proper meal. She'd make sure that he went running in the park with his main agents four times a week and he had a standing swimming date with her every Sunday evening.

"So, we've been invited to the Caldwells for dinner on Friday. I think one of them's going to announce a run for North Carolina's Governorship."

"Most likely Will. He'd be good for the job…are we supposed to bring anything?"

"Just us."

"I'm gonna have to deal with you and your frat boy friends being drunk and goofy, aren't I?"

"You like me drunk, Livvie."

"I like you when you're drunk and horny. Drunk and existential you, I can take or leave and by leave, I mean "accidentally" shoving you off of the Truman Balcony."

Fitz snorted and watched as she settled into bed next to him. Her camisole was removed and she rested on her stomach, curling her legs up. Turning off the bedside lamp, he spooned up against her and accepted her good night kiss gladly. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.

He still couldn't believe that she was with him in his bed, in his arms, in his life.

Of all of the men that Olivia Pope could've chosen to be with, she chose him. She loved him.

She loved him unconditionally. For that alone, he'd give her the whole world if she asked for it.

She loved his children,  _ **their**_ children unconditionally. For that alone, she'd have his heart forever.

She was…she was  _ **everything**_.

She was his everything and he thanked God every day that she was in his life.

" _I love you, Livvie._ "

Always.


	8. Chapter 8

**(** **CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #26-(Follow up to #1,3,5,8,14,16, &23, The Trail/First AU, Olitz, Fitz, Olivia, mentioned FTGIV and Karen, Cyrus, drunk!Mellie returns, mentioned Mew in turmoil and past Mellitz Zombie, family dynamics, step family dynamics, NSFW))**

**Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"**

 

**Excerpts from Draftbook Drabbles 1, 3, 5, 14, and 23…**

"…  _you still know how to care. I don't. Not really…I guess that's reason #800 kabillion why me and Fitzy never really worked. I don't give a_ _ **fuck**_ _and he gives too_ _ **much**_ _of a fuck about everything and one…unless he's staring at your ass. Then, he's got no fucks to give…he really,_ _ **really**_ _wants to fuck you, Liv. I think he wants it more than the White House and the divorce combined. Do…do you wanna fuck him? You can tell me. It's just us girls and it doesn't matter anymore. He can do whatever or whoever he wants, now. I signed the Papers."_

_"You_ **_did?_ ** _Just like that?"_

_"Shocking, huh? You should've seen his eyes, Liv. He looked so…so_ **_relieved_ ** _…'M surprised that he didn't tell you immediately. You're like Bosom Buddies…so do ya want him or not? It would be pretty great, if you didn't. I mean, why should I be the one hurting? Why should I be the only one all alone? Why should I be suffering while he's in that big White House?"_

_"He may not get anywhere near it, Mellie. His campaign's in serious trouble. It has been from the start and now, with the divorce…there's never been a single President elected to Office…"_

_"Between you and Cyrus, mostly you…he'll be fine. He'll be hunky-fuckin'-dory and Langston and Reston will be left in the dust. Man, you're really good at deflecting…"_

"… _if I can spin and Handle him getting divorced, I can certainly spin and Handle him being a single father and dating someone new, even if it is me. Will it be easy?_ _ **No.**_ _Absolutely not. In the eyes of his Party, I am the wrong age, I am the wrong race, I am his subordinate, and I am nowhere near soft and pliable enough to be an acceptable First Lady in their eyes…"_

_"_ **_First Lady?_ ** _",_ _both men inquired in surprised stereo._

_" Fitz, I am not about to put this Campaign, my heart and reputation,_ _**your** _ _heart and reputation, and most importantly, Karen and Gerry's already fragile emotions at risk for a fling. This is…look, bottom line,_ _**I want to be with Fitz. Fitz wants to be with me. Openly** _ _. We're going to be together and we're going to be great together or at least fail amicably…"_

"… _I want to make it very clear that it wasn't until_ ** _after_** _my divorce did I let her know just how I feel about her. I wanted…I did not want to cause the pain to Mellie, Karen and Gerry, or Olivia that my father's affairs caused to my mother and me growing up. I wanted to do it right. I did not want to make the scrutiny that Olivia will go through being attached to me worse by making her into a punch line, into a…into a_ _ **mistress**_ _because she…she is beyond that. She is…_ ** _everything…_** _"_

_"…_ _You…you…you just told the American People, the whole world that you love me. You defended me. You…you_ **_chose_ ** _me_ _…" she rasped in disbelief and in rapture._

_Fitz nodded and used one of his thumbs to wipe her tears away._

_"_ _No one's_ _**ever** _ _chosen me before. Not like this…"_

_"…Look, obviously and unfortunately, Liv's not our bio-mom but she_ **_is_ ** _our Mom in all of the ways that matter. She supports us. She listens to us. She'll be silly with us and she'll help Dad discipline us without being unfair about it. She keeps us out of trouble and out of the headlines. She remembers important things like what we're allergic to, when our schoolwork's due, and what kind of music we like. She actually loves Dad for Dad himself, not for the Politics and she actually cares about me and Quatro, which other women in her position likely wouldn't. Other women would hate us on G.P. or do the bare minimum with us to keep Dad happy. Liv isn't like that. She gives a fuck about us. She gives a whole winery of barrels of fucks about us. The woman who carried us and pushed us out doesn't give a fraction of a fuck about us and Dad like Liv does. The Incubator_ **_never_ ** _loved us or Dad unconditionally. She only pretended to in the name of the almighty Optics and for the sake of her own personal political power plays."_

" _And Millicent didn't put that much effort in pretending…Olivia Pope is our mother, Cyrus and we love her dearly, just as much as we love Dad, if not a little bit more. It's really not that shocking, all things considering…"_

* * *

**July 2008… A Day in the Life of Olitz.**

**Morning**

Her eyes snapped open and met blazing cobalt blue.

The edges of those loving eyes crinkled in a smile and she gasped at the firmer strokes of his tongue.

Fitz Grant III's hands went to the juncture of where her spread legs met her torso and pinned them down, holding her wide open for him. Olivia Pope whimpered with delight, arching as best she could as he continued to lick and lap happily at her pulsing sex. The dream she had been having had been similar to her current reality. The only difference was that in the dream, the two of them had been on a private beach, far away from America and the crazy fishbowl they now lived in. The fact that she now had a man who she adored and two children that she would lay down her life for twice made the crazy fishbowl worth it but still, as soon as his Presidential time was over, she was taking him and going off the grid for at least 2 months. Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Fiji, Cape Town, she had been hearing good things about the islands near Zanzibar…

She grabbed his pillow just in time to muffle a jagged scream. Grabbing a pillow was an ingrained habit that he was determined to break her of. She was still used to being in rooms with neighbors very close by but now things were different. Not only were they living in the White House together (much to the disdain of the conservatives ala Sally Langston), there was enough space for them to be as loud as they pleased with their activities.

The broad shoulders wedged between her splayed lower half began to shake as he nurtured her growing climax and she had a distinct feeling that her Fitzgerald was laughing at her.

Moving the pillow aside, she looked down and sure enough, he was chortling and the laughter only increased as she glowered at him. Well,  _ **excuse**_  her for trying to hold onto a little bit of propriety between them…

Olivia made a note to wallop him for his insolence later,  _ **much**_ later.

She hissed as his fingers slid into her pulsing cavity and curled right against her Spot. Her ire fell away and she buried her right hand in his hair, pressing him even closer, groaning in release. Fitz stroked and drank of her well until she went completely boneless beneath him, unable to articulate anything other soft coos of his name.

He ascended her body slowly, kissing and nuzzling against her possessively. Fitz's erection went between her knees and she ground needily against it, feeling a second wind. Seizing that second wind with both hands, Olivia leveraged herself forward until he was on his back. His face was a study of passion and of devotion, especially as her palms went to his chest. He was so firm and so delightfully hairy, a still welcome change of pace from her former lovers. The others weren't ugly, per se but Fitz took good care of himself all over. Plus, the way he just loved her, flaws and all, with everything he was…

" _ **Livvie**_ …" he groaned softly, shivering as her suckling kisses ascended his inner thighs.

" _It's my turn, now…_ _ **stay where I put you, baby**_ …"

" _ **Yes**_.", he huffed, both in submission to her command and the feel of her tongue slowly circling the head of him.

Mirroring his earlier actions, Olivia used her hands to pin him in place and set about her task happily. She loved to taste him. She loved to feel him shiver and to feel his gentle fingertips on her scalp. She loved to feel him buck and squirm underneath her in growing rapture. She loved the way he moaned, the way he hissed, the way he groaned and growled for her, the way he always came so hard for her…

Using her hair, Fitz gently but firmly moved her mouth away from him and smiled at the indignant purse of her lips.

" _I wasn't done with you, yet._ " she rasped scoldingly.

When he laughed at her again, Olivia nipped none too gently at his left inner thigh in retaliation and she gasped as her back made rough contact with the mattress. Briefly, she squirmed underneath him, trying to get back to the ascendant position but a toe curling, soul warming kiss ended her resistance quickly…

" _Olivia, you know full and damned well by now that if I want to move, there's not much you can do to stop me unless I'm restrained._ "

" _True… and just for that, I'm definitely tying your wrists to the headboard next time._ "

" _I look forward to it._ "

" _You should..._ "

_**/** _

**Afternoon**

"You and Fitz  _ **really**_ want to stick it to her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Mellie. First, you two become the Political and Social Powerhouse of #Olitz while she's still known as the Cuckolding Jezebel.  _ **Then**_ , you two very pointedly have not gotten married and are blissful in the White House while she's having public battle royales with Nichols over wedding cake samples, who I will bet my best bottles of wine is already cheating on her by the way, and  _ **now**_ you want to legally adopt her kids."

"How did you…"

"Karen and Gerry posted ecstatic Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr posts about your move last night, which have all gone very viral with an 80/20 split of good and bad commentary on it, 80 belonging to the good. #StepMommaPope is trending along with mocking companion hashtags aptly entitled #PoorMellie and #MellieTheIncubator. James is keeping me in the Loop about it all and I'm probably going to put Jeannine and Ethan on full time Social Media duty by the end of the work week so I don't end up drowning in notifications."

"That's a good idea. I should've told them to keep it to themselves until the papers go through but I understand where they're coming from. Cyrus, Karen and Gerry are  _ **not**_ Mellie's kids. They're  _ **Fitz**_ 's kids and  _ **my**_  kids, not hers. Yes, she  _ **is**_  their biological mother but parenthood is about more than passing DNA. It's about active participation and about showing genuine, non self serving love at all times. Mellie didn't do that for them, even before I came along and it's highly unlikely that she'll start now. Even if she wanted to start now, K.G. and Quatro have been burned so many times by her in the past that they would just shut her down. They don't trust her. As for sticking it to her, that is junior high behavior and while I can't speak for Fitz or the kids, I know that I am too grown and honestly, too lazy to be bothered with taking the extra time to poke that bear. Not without her provoking me first, anyway."

"Well, you better keep an eye out for that provocation because she's definitely poked and very pissed off. She called me an hour after the posts debuted and she was a delightful mix of drunken singing, ranting, and bawling at the sheer injustice of it all."

"I hope you reminded her that the situation she's in is entirely her own fault."

"No, I just hung up on her and turned my phone off. She'll probably be jonesing for a fight, tonight, though. My, what a big basket you have there, Little Red Step Momma Pope."

"All the better to cave your thick skull in with, Grumpy Gay Dragon Slayer. Fitz and I have a lunch date."

"Please keep all of your clothes on or at least keep all intimate parts out of sight. The last thing we need is a rogue camera getting footage of you two canoodling… _ **again**_."

After shooting her still smirking friend/mentor/ever present migraine a scathing look, Olivia picked up the full picnic basket and exited the kitchen, seeking out her Fitzgerald. White House Chef Jose Mendez Rivera had packed the basket the night before and Olivia couldn't help but smile at the origami orchid he had left taped to the basket's handle. The 75 years young man never failed to let her know that she reminded him of his beloved Carmen, his lively wife of 50 years. She was petite yet undeniably fierce, her mind as sharp as her beauty was deep. Carmen was the Head Groundskeeper for 1600 Penn and the couple had adopted all 3 Grants plus her as family. One could never have too much family, they always told her…

Olivia had long equated family with vulnerability and pain. Her mother Maya had perished in a plane crash when she was 12 and her father Eli, Rowan, whatever the hell he wanted to call himself was  _ **far**_ from father of the year. A Chia Pet was in better hands with the bastard than a child. Materially, he had provided for her and provided well but emotionally…it made sense. Her father was the big bad wolf in the forest, the thing that goes bump in the night, the monster in the closet. What could someone like that really know about love? What could someone like that really know about care? What could someone like that really know about nurturing?

One couldn't become and remain the Grand Master of the Dark Ops realm without losing massive portions of their humanity.

It just wasn't possible.

It was a wonder that Olivia was as stable as she was and that her unstable parts weren't of serial killer proportions.  _ **Those**_  couldn't be coped with and soothed by love. Perfectionism, fear of joy, fear of failure, and fear of loss were formidable demons but not insurmountable if one could find the right balance of perspective and the right positive influences, the latter for her being 3 loving Grants. She had Abby, Stephen, Harrison and Huck before and she adored them but until her Grants came along, she didn't feel like she had a real family, a real place that she truly belonged.

Family still automatically meant vulnerability to her but pain? No. As long as Eli/Rowan kept his distance (and who knew how much longer said distance would last, given that she was now the high profile live in lover of a WASP RINO POTUS!) and as long as she had her Grants, she would be okay. No, not just okay. She would be  _ **happy**_.  _ **She deserved to be happy**_ …

Olivia yelped as she collided with a large male body and was immediately steadied by familiar hands. The familiar hands were warm against her bare triceps and absently, she used her free hand to adjust the slightly askew flag pin on his lapel. Dwight Eisenhower had worn it during his Time and it only had 48 stars. One of her antiquities contacts had found it via an estate sale out of Vermont and it had become the second most perfect gift to celebrate her man being Inaugurated.

The first most perfect gift had been given to him after their heated tryst on the Resolute Desk. After entering their living space, Olivia had changed from her dress to a snow white sheer and lace confection, complete with 50 tiny pearl buttons for all 50 states.

He had only made it through 20 before literally ripping the gift to at least 50 shreds.

Inauguration Day had been excellent but it was nothing compared to the night.

"Hi."

"Hi. I was just on my way to see you. Are we still on for lunch?"

"We are. Come here."

Fitz's hand immediately went to the small of her back as they walked. Olivia tucked herself into his side, noting and promptly disregarding the disapproving looks of some the more traditional staff members. As Cyrus had mentioned before, it had been a little bit over 6 months since they had moved into 1600 Penn and there hadn't been a wedding or civil service. Not to mention the fact that there was a huge disparity between the amount of melanin she had in her skin and the amount that their boss had in his. Despite it being well into the 21st century, along with the overwhelming proof that Fitz loved her and was a far better man, father, and politician with her in his life, all they could see was an unmarried rich white man with a brilliant black girlfriend throwing aside all sorts of traditions. Some Conservatives were militantly murmuring about the situation but as Leo Bergen had pointed out doing a recent  **Morning Joe**  talk panel, just because people were married didn't mean they were committed or guaranteed to be faithful within the relationship. After all, Fitz and Mellie had been married for over 10 years with 2 kids and  _ **look what happened there**_ …

Entering the small private office adjacent to the Oval, they immediately settled onto the carpeted floor. As Olivia rummaged through the basket, her lips curved upward in a smile as Fitz slid her black wedges off and started rubbing her feet. He frequently commented on how he was amazed that she could function in 5-7 inch heels nearly all of the time and he fussed every time he saw the tell tale red marks or swollen arches that accompanied them. If it were up to him, she'd be in flats, tennis shoes, or just barefoot all of the time.

The baguette was sliced into Texas toast thick pieces and there were an assortment of sandwich components in various Tupperware containers, ranging from hand sliced turkey and provolone to fresh broccoli sprouts. She passed him a large vanilla Greek yogurt and strawberry parfait and a thermos full of chicken soup, along with utensils. Fitz used the bottle opener on the sparkling lemon mineral water that they both preferred before putting together sandwiches for both of them. As usual, he didn't start eating until she did and their silence was warm, companionable, completely natural…

"Mellie called me last night. I didn't answer but my voicemail is full."

"She also called Cyrus. He hung up on her."

"She'll be here tonight with Andrew. She's upset that you want to adopt the kids. She's also upset that they're happy about it and she's known by the two of them and everyone in the world as The Incubator."

"I know. I'll Handle all of it. Don't worry about it."

"You shouldn't have to Handle Mellie being  _ **Mellie**_. She's just…I've got a lot of baggage, Liv. Aggravating baggage."

"Fitz, I knew what I was getting into when I fell in love with you and chose not to run away from it. You're a WASP high profile politician with awesome teenage children and an ex-wife with a tendency to start drama before playing the martyr when it all blows up in her face. Dealing with Mellie being  _ **Mellie**_ is a minor inconvenience but you, Quatro, and K.G. are worth it."

"If she puts her fucking hands on you, I'm deporting her."

"You can't do that, Fitzgerald!"

"I can't?"

" _ **No.**_ "

"What's the point of being POTUS if I can't send the people who annoy me into exile?"

"Well, allegedly you get to serve and represent the People. That's fun."

"Eh…"

"Okay, not so much but you have to admit that although your job sucks overall, there  _ **are**_  perks."

_**/** _

**Evening**

"Well, well, if it isn't the woman of the hour, now…lemme guess, you're here to gloat?"

"No."

" _ **Why the hell not?**_  You've got the man, the kids, and this big beautiful White House…I  _ **told**_  ya that he'd get elected without me! You were  _ **so**_  terrified and sad that he wouldn't but he did and it's all your doing. Cyrus may talk a big game about holding it all together but everyone with even a quarter of a working brain knows that President Fitzgerald Grant III is absolutely  _ **nothing**_  without the Great Formidable Olivia Pope by his side…"

"If that were true, then he wouldn't have been a very good Governor or father before I came along or a functioning person in general. Fitz and I are 15 years apart and…"

"Christ, if you're not deflecting like a champ, you're being literal as hell! That's not what I meant and you know it, 'Livia… _oh, that sucks_ …"

 _ **That**_  being the large flask Mellie had brought running dry of her homemade alcohol. Olivia could smell the telltale nose hair shriveling fumes from the opening and on Mellie's breath. Gently, Olivia removed the silver sterling flask from the brunette's hand and placed it on the red carpeted stair above them. A flash of annoyance went through the other woman's periwinkle eyes before she visibly deflated, using her left fist to support her nodding head. Mellie looked like a dejected version of Cinderella after the ball. Her maroon traditional cap sleeved ball gown was rumpled and her large stiff updo had unraveled and was more like a hairspray and finger tousled mane now. Her mascara had run and more tears swam in her eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to fall. Her now gloveless fingers fidgeted with a white pearl necklace and the massive diamond ring Andrew Nichols had given her on Inauguration Day.

In contrast, Olivia sat across from her in an aubergine sleeveless gown with no gloves. Even with her knees tucked underneath her, her posture was immaculate but relaxed. She had done her hair in soft waterfall curls and left it down so it touched her bare shoulders. Other than her lipstick being darkened by wine (and slightly smeared from the kiss Fitz gave her on the dance floor), her makeup was still flawless. The asymmetrical hemmed gown had a floor length train and it hugged her curves before a daring middle split showed a prime view of her long, strong legs. Like Mellie, she was currently barefoot and the only jewelry she wore was…

"That's his great grandmomma's ring you've got on, y'know.  _ **Doux Bebe**_ …Sweet Baby in French. 'M real surprised that it's not on your ring finger. Why'd you put it on your index?"

"It felt right."

"Huh. I found it while we were gettin' ready to move to the governor's mansion. Fitzgerald practically took my fuckin' head off when I suggested that I wear it. Of course, he tried to cover his ass later on, sayin' that he wanted me to have my own pieces but I figured out the story behind it. His great-grandmother's father bought it at an auction in Paris and she wore it at her debutante ball. It's been passed down through the generations and he was supposed to give it to his wife or to the woman he truly loved. Guess that means it's in the right place now, huh? You may not be his wife but he definitely loves you. It's written all over his pretty little face…"

"Mellie…"

"Don't bother feelin' bad for me or tryin' to explain it away. I might be a punch line and a used up tramp but I'm not stupid or blind. I knew what time it was as soon as you came on the Bus. I watched as he fell for you like a piss drunk frat boy at Mardi Gras in about 3 days. He looked at you like you were his salvation. He gave you his real smile and his real laugh. He listened to you and you listened to him. See,  _ **that's**_ where me and Big Jerry and all sorts of other people fucked up with Fitzgerald. None of us really listened to him but  _ **you**_ …every time he said something, you looked right at him and you would easily tell Cyrus and the others to shut up so he could get his words out. I remember the look on his face the first time you did it and I knew he was gone. I wasn't sure about you 'til later on but I  _ **knew**_. I  _ **knew**_  that he liked you and it didn't take long to see that he loved… _ **loves**_  you. I was kinda expectin' him to just walk up and kiss you in front of everybody but he's too fuckin'  _ **decent**_ to do that. He had no problem in fallin' in love with someone else but...he  _ **hates**_  me, doesn't he? Fitz hates me…"

"No, he doesn't. You definitely get on his nerves sometimes but he doesn't hate you."

"Well, Karen and Gerry do. They fuckin'  _ **despise**_  me. They call me  _ **The Incubator**_. Karen does, anyways. Gerry calls me  _ **Millicent**_  or  _ **Mother**_  and he's got a way of doin' it that just lets me  _ **know**_  that I'm as valuable to him as a 3 dollar bill. And the worst part is that I really can't blame anyone but me for it all. I had a husband and kids that jus' wanted me to fuckin' love them and I  _ **couldn't**_. Andy jus' wants me to fuckin' love  _ **him**_  but I  _ **can't**_ …I'm just too broken. I saw red lipstick on his collar while I was puttin' together the dry cleaning last week. He said that he cut himself shavin' but I know better… _I_ _ **always**_ _know better._ One bastard  _ **endures**_  me and the next one is balls deep in another woman, already."

"Leave him, then."

"Oh, yeah _…_ _ **that'll**_ go over well!The Media would tear me apart! _I'm so sick of 'em tearing me apart…_ "

"Mellie, despite all of the hell you've raised over the years, you deserve to be happy. Andrew isn't making you happy anymore and he's cheating on you. Leave him. Let him have whoever it is…"

"It's probably that stupid Lizzie North bitch. She's been sniffin' around like a stray cat, tryin' to get him to join her little Party causes _…_ "

"…and you should find someone who will actually love you and respect you. The Media will definitely tear you apart because they don't like you but it'll be ten times worse if he gets caught with his pants down after you're married. At least if you leave him now, they'll put him on blast when he goes public with his new girlfriend right after you leave him. People aren't nearly as stupid as we think they are, sometimes."

"That's all well and good but  _ **then**_  what am I supposed to do? I can't go into politics and I'm not… _I don't like bein' alone._  At least if I'm miserable with a man, I'm not alone…"

"Being alone isn't nearly as terrible as people make it out to be. You don't have to answer to anyone and you've got plenty of options outside of politics, Mellie. You were top of your class at Harvard, weren't you? You don't need to wrap your whole life around being with a man to get where you want to go. Now, other than politics, what's something that you've always wanted to do but couldn't because it wasn't "suitable"?"

"…my momma taught me how to make candles and bath scrubs and other stuff like that. I used to make them all the time back home but I had to stop after a while. It…it's a nice hobby but I don't think I can make a career out of it."

"This is the age of Etsy and blogging. If you've got good products and a solid sales pitch, you'll be able to thrive. You've got the time, the skills, and the money. Why not try it out? You don't have anything to lose. Not really…"

"Y'know…things would be a lot easier if you'd just be a bitch to me like a normal person."

"I'm not normal and I don't let the claws come out against someone unless they provoke me."

"…I don't get you, Olivia. I respect you but I don't get you at all."

Olivia couldn't help but laugh at that and Mellie smiled wanly before rising up on wobbly knees, stuffing her empty flask in her black clutch.

"I think it would be best if I left now. 'M drunk as hell and if I stick around here, I'll end up going back in there and puking on somebody. When I puke on someone, it's gonna be on that…that  _ **man**_ when he tries to wake me up for sex later! G'night, Olivia. Thanks for not gloating."

"Thanks for not making a scene. This dress is too nice to be ruined by anything other than Fitz in heat."

With a strangled cackle, Mellie carefully descended the stairs and headed for the main exit, followed by two Secret Service Agents. They would ensure that she would leave the grounds quietly and safely…

"You can come out now, Fitz."

Although his face was sheepish as he descended the stairs, his body language was completely unrepentant about his eavesdropping. Olivia wasn't upset about the eavesdropping. If the situation was reversed, then she would've done the same thing. Mellie was unpredictable on a good day and the days had not been good for the woman since…well, since Olivia dug up her dirty little secrets. She had exposed Mellie's affairs to the entire world in order to remove a major obstacle to Fitz's campaign (and for her and Fitz to be happy together) and the ripple effects were still going strong. They would never stop.

Olivia stood up to meet him and accepted another kiss from him, this one deeper and harder from the one on the dance floor. His hand covered the small of her back fully and his left hand cupped the back of her head. Rising up on her tiptoes, Olivia held onto his shoulders and looked up at him tenderly.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"Actually, I do. Do you think she'll take my advice?"

"Probably. I want her to be happy. She'll be much less trouble if she's happy."

Olivia rolled at her eyes at the completely accurate statement and her reply was lost in a jaw cracking yawn. Checking a nearby clock, she saw that it was a quarter to midnight and she had been up since 5 that Friday morning. It made sense for her to be tired. It had been a long day and now, all she wanted was her bed and her man's arms around her.

Matter of factly, Fitz picked her up and started walking towards the residential area, Hal and Daniel falling into step with them.

"I can walk, you know."

"I know. You look beautiful."

"You told me that earlier."

"It bears repeating. You're  _ **always**_  beautiful, Livvie."


	9. Chapter 9

**(CMW2/Trumpetnista: Draftbook Drabble #29-(The Trail/First Term AU, Follow up to D.D.s 1,3,5,8,14,16,23, and 26, Fitz, Olivia, FTGIV and Karen, Eli/Rowan, established Olitz, Pope vs. Pope battle royale, family dynamics, step family dynamics, NSFW)**

 

**Excerpts from Draftbook Drabbles #23 and #26…**

" ** _Mom?_** _You mean Olivia, right? He means Olivia..."_

" _Brilliant deduction, Grumpy Gay Sherlock. Look, obviously and unfortunately, Liv's not our bio-mom but she_ ** _is_** _our Mom in all of the ways that matter. She supports us. She listens to us. She'll be silly with us and she'll help Dad discipline us without being unfair about it. She keeps us out of trouble and out of the headlines. She remembers important things like what we're allergic to, when our schoolwork's due, and what kind of music we like. She actually loves Dad for Dad himself, not for the Politics and she actually cares about me and Quatro, which other women in her position likely wouldn't. Other women would hate us on G.P. or do the bare minimum with us to keep Dad happy. Liv isn't like that._ _ **She gives a fuck about us. She gives a whole winery of barrels of fucks about us.**_ _The woman who carried us and pushed us out doesn't give a_ _ **fraction**_ _of a fuck about us and Dad like Liv does. The Incubator_ ** _never_** _loved us or Dad unconditionally. She only pretended to in the name of the almighty Optics and for the sake of her own personal political power plays."_

" _And Millicent didn't put that much effort in pretending…_ _ **Olivia Pope is our mother, Cyrus and we love her dearly, just as much as we love Dad, if not a little bit more**_ _. It's really not that shocking, all things considering…"_

" _We're really sorry, Mom._ "

_Mom. Now,_ _**there** _ _was a title that she never thought would be given to her. Not from a lack of desire…contrary to popular belief, Olivia had always wanted to be a mother. It just seemed like it wasn't in the cards for her. She was driven, married to her work and plus with her taste in men, the last thing anyone needed was a child brought into the middle of a train wreck relationship. It had been a common bone of contention between her and Edison Davis. Olivia was religious about her Depo shots and wouldn't even consider letting him inside her without a condom. Edison wanted kids. He wanted to get married and he wanted kids. Olivia always said that she wasn't ready for it, which was true but really, she just didn't want to be married to_ _**him** _ _or to have_ _**his** _ _kids. It had taken a while for Edison to accept that but once he had, the relationship had quickly imploded._

_As had become the norm, things were very different with Fitz Grant III. Not only because she was willing and eager to marry him and take him bareback and have his babies but just…Fitz had come into the relationship with children, with_ _**teenagers** _ _. They were a package deal and instead of running away, Olivia had plunged herself head first into being a positive mother figure for them. They desperately needed and wanted one. She'd never try and replace Mellie but she could be there for them. She could listen to them. She could protect them and play with them. Olivia had lost her mother at age 12 and her father was more like a Father in Name Only. She knew what it was like to feel all alone and unwanted. She didn't want that awful feeling for Karen and Gerry._ _**She didn't want more of that awful feeling for Karen and Gerry** _ _…_

_"You and Fitz_ **_really_ ** _want to stick it to her, don't you?"_

_"Who?"_

_"Mellie. First, you two become the Political and Social Powerhouse of #Olitz while she's still known as the Cuckolding Jezebel._ **_Then_ ** _, you two very pointedly have not gotten married and are blissful in the White House while she's having public battle royales with Nichols over wedding cake samples, who I will bet my best bottles of wine is already cheating on her by the way, and_ **_now_ ** _you want to legally adopt her kids."_

" _Cyrus, Karen and Gerry are_ ** _not_** _Mellie's kids. They're_ ** _Fitz_** _'s kids and_ ** _my_** _kids, not hers. Yes, she_ ** _is_** _their biological mother but parenthood is about more than passing DNA. It's about active participation and it's about showing genuine, non self serving love at all times. Mellie didn't do that for them, even before I came along and it's highly unlikely that she'll start now…"_

_Olivia had long equated family with vulnerability and pain. Her mother Maya had perished in a plane crash when she was 12 and her father Eli, Rowan, whatever the hell he wanted to call himself was_ **_far_ ** _from father of the year. A Chia Pet was in better hands with the bastard than a child. Materially, he had provided for her and provided well but emotionally…it made sense. Her father was the big bad wolf in the forest, the thing that goes bump in the night, the monster in the closet. What could someone like that really know about love? What could someone like that really know about care? What could someone like that really know about nurturing?_

_One couldn't become and remain the Grand Master of the Dark Ops realm without losing massive portions of their humanity..._

_Family still automatically meant vulnerability to her but pain? No. As long as Eli/Rowan kept his distance (and who knew how much longer said distance would last, given that she was now the high profile live in lover of a WASP RINO POTUS!) and as long as she had her Grants, she would be okay. No, not just okay. She would be_ **_happy_ ** _._ **_She deserved to be happy_ ** _…_

* * *

 

" _Rowan Pope is your father? B613's Command is your father?"_

" _Yes. Legally, he's Eli Pope, one of the Head Curators at the Smithsonian. He had one of his minions cause the car accident Edison was in and I haven't spoken to him since."_

" _Why the hell did he do_ _ **that**_ _?"_

" _He didn't like him with me so he tried to kill him to scare me into breaking up with him. Honestly, we were circling the drain, anyway but I ended it like he wanted me to so Edison would have a shot at dying of old age. I know that Rowan's still been keeping tabs on me. He always does, somehow. He'll make contact soon and if he doesn't, then I'll just go to him. I can't avoid or ignore him forever. I shouldn't even have to but…well, you know how better than I do about toxic dads. Big Jerry's a prime example of one."_

" _Which is exactly why I haven't bothered with him since before the divorce…Olivia, if he didn't like you with Davis, who was perfect for you on paper, then I'm sure that your being with me will have him spitting nails."_

" _He'll be disappointed that I fell in love with a white man and enraged that of all the white men I could've gotten tangled up with, I picked the most problematic one of them all."_

" _Wait a minute, since when am I problematic?"_

" _Fitzgerald, you are the President of the United States. You're divorced with a half crazy ex-wife. You're almost 16 years older than me. You have 2 three-quarters grown children with the aforementioned half crazy ex-wife. You're a WASP. You're a_ _ **Grant**_ _. How are you_ _ **not**_ _problematic?"_

"… _fair enough."_

" _ **And**_ _worst of all to him, I'm not working as a POTUS or a Chief of Staff in 1600 Penn. I'm living here as the First Lady and_ _ **that's**_ _not even legal in the eyes of Church and State. He's always wanted me to achieve greatness and his definition of greatness is not this._ _ **This**_ _is his worst nightmare."_

" _Will he hurt you?"_

" _No, he won't hurt me. Threaten and belittle, sure but he won't harm a hair on my head. Wayward or not, I'm his daughter and that still counts for something. Not much but enough to keep me intact. I'm more worried about you."_

" _I can take care of myself, Liv. I've done it for years."_

" _I know that but he could still go after you and the kids. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried something with Karen, specifically. After all, in his eyes, you've completely sullied and ruined his daughter for the rest of her life. It's only fair that he does the same to yours…"_

" _If he even_ _ **looks**_ _at Karen and Gerry wrong, I'll Patriot Act him and snap his fucking neck."_

" _Not if I do it first. It took a long time for me to feel like I was worthy of being unconditionally loved and of having a real family and now that I have both,_ _ **no one**_ _is taking it away from me, especially not the bastard who made me feel unworthy to begin with."_

* * *

 

"I'm not used to you being this quiet, Livvie. Usually, your mother and I could barely get you to stop and breathe between sentences."

"I've mellowed out with age."

"Don't say that. It makes me sound old."

"You  _ **are**_ old, Dad. I'm 33. Once your kid is in their 30s, you have no choice but to be old."

"You  _ **are**_ 33 now, aren't you?"

"I am. January 31st came and went just like always. It was a good day. Cold but good."

"I'm sorry that I missed it. It's been a really big year for you, Livvie."

"It has. Don't worry about it. It wasn't the first birthday you missed and it won't be the last."

"Birthdays should be spent with your family."

"I  _ **did**_ spend my birthday with my family, all 3 of them and it was awesome. Listen, since you're going to have someone torture and kill me now, could you please make sure that my body stays intact overall? I still want to be cremated but I'd appreciate being able to have an open casket viewing."

"I am not going to have you tortured and killed, Olivia. You're my daughter."

"Yes, I am but you didn't approach me as my father. I'm in this study with Command right now. If you're not going to torture and kill me, then why am I here? Why did you send for me?"

"We need to talk, Olivia."

"More like you need to condemn me for all of the horrible life decisions you've allowed me to make and I need to defend myself. Well, get on with it and make it quick because I have other things to do today. I'm applying for a small business loan at noon, I'm picking up the kids from marching band Sectionals at 3:15 and it's Bimonthly Public Date Night for me and Fitz. We're going to get Lebanese food and then, we're going to hang out at the Air and Space Museum until closing time. Fitz loves all of the World War II plane exhibits and you know that I have a strong love for all things NASA. Remember when I dressed up like Mae Carol Jemison for Halloween? I wanted to be Nyota Uhura but I was too much of a chicken to cut my hair short until Toni Braxton did her pixie cut…"

Olivia Pope knew that even though his face was utterly blank, Eli was not only angry at her but also very confused. As usual, she wasn't behaving the way he wanted or expected her to. He had expected her to reject his call outright. He had expected her to turn his representatives away when they came for her, even though she had allowed them into 1600 Penn. He had expected her to show up at his house angry, defensive, and jonesing for a yelling match. Instead, she was sitting in one of the plush leather arm chairs across from his desk like she used to when boarding school was out. More accurately, she was perched on the large right arm and her feet, clad in steel gray over the knee 4 inch lace up boots kicked as if she were pushing a swing. Her long sleeved hip length cardigan was snow white, her mid sleeved scoop neck dress was shocking pink and stopped just at the top of her boots. Her hair was waved and put up in a messy but stable updo, tendrils framing her face. She wore no makeup and Eli's hawkeyed gaze kept lingering on the necklace she wore.

It was a collaborative effort. Karen had designed the piece, Gerry had the picked gemstones and metals, and Fitz had bankrolled the custom jeweler with a blank check. The only caveat was that it had to be done in time for her birthday and if she hated it, then he'd get double the money back.

As soon as Olivia had opened the jewelry box, she had been speechless. Even if the three of them had gotten her something from an old gumball machine, she'd cherish it for the rest of her days but the necklace was absolutely exquisite.

The metals were a blend of copper and bronze, the colors warm against her skin tone. The necklace was designed to look like her birth flower, a carnation in bloom and the center petals were decorated with all four of their birthstones. Those birthstones were garnet for her, emerald for Fitz, moonstone for Karen, and opal for Gerry. When the gemstones caught the light, the adornment seemed to glow from within. At the center of the bloom was a white diamond, which was a nod to her strength and her trademark color choice of snow white. The Woman in White was one of the Media's many names and hashtags for her. The necklace had its own hashtag and its own Twitter account, now…

" _Mom? Oh, man…she doesn't like it…she's crying and she's not talking so she doesn't like it…"_

" _Of_ _ **course**_ _she likes it, Numb Nuts! She put it on! Dad, she likes it, right?"_

" _We fucked up."_

" _No, we didn't fuck up!_ _ **Did**_ _we? Dad? Mom?"_

" _Livvie?"_

_Olivia finished walking to her nervous children and nearly tackled them to the floor in an embrace, causing all 3 of them to sigh with relief. After being sure to kiss both her son and daughter on the brow, she turned her attention to their father. Walking to him with the same unhurried pace, she grabbed him by the collar and forcefully kissed him, conquering and claiming his mouth. Only when air became absolutely mandatory did she end the kiss and she held his gaze. When she gestured towards the master suite, Fitz swallowed thickly, nodded, and hastily retreated, removing his maroon sweater in the process. Good. It was one less thing she had to get rid of before she could get to his skin and she absolutely wanted his skin, his lips, his touch, his_ _**everything** _ _…_

_He'd better be naked when she got in there because whatever clothes he was left wearing would only be good as dust rags once she was done with them._

" _Quatro, K.G., I love you both but get out of here. I'll text you when it's safe to come back. Take whatever you need to keep yourselves occupied and when you see Cyrus, tell him that your father has his hands full. If he asks just what he has his hands full of, simply remind him that today is my birthday and as the birthday woman, I can and will do whatever I want to do, including his Commander in Chief. Do you understand?"_

" _Yep."_

" _Gross. Since you two are going to break the headboard again, we'd better get a baby out of it."_

" _ **Karen!**_ _"_

" _Fitzgerald, you were just saying that you want to be a big brother again! I wanna be a big sister! Little siblings don't come from the motherfucking cabbage patch! They come from whatever Mom's gonna do to Dad and vice versa! Accept it and move on!"_

" _I fucking_ _ **know**_ _all of that! It doesn't mean that I want to have_ _ **images**_ _in my head!_ _ **Gross!**_ _"_

" _Language. Both of you get your stuff and get gone._ _ **Yesterday**_ _."_

_The pair of them bolted towards their rooms and Olivia walked to the other side of the kitchen counter. Carefully, she removed the white and pink '33' extinguished candle from her red velvet vanilla cake and cut two large slabs, placing them in a large Tupperware container. She put the rest of the cake away and proceeded to their bedroom. Fitz was resting on his back in their bed and although his eyes were shut, she knew that he was awake, especially from the waist down._

_His eyes opened to half mast as she set the container on her nightstand and he sat up when she pulled her knee length periwinkle turtleneck over her head. Before he could speak, her lips were on his, this time tender but no less heated than before. One of his hands rested on her left thigh, the other on the small of her back, covering them fully. Her fingers worked at the front clasp of her aquamarine bra and she held it to her, waiting for him to look at her._

" _Thank you. Not just for the necklace but…I have a family, now. A real one that loves me and that's…that's_ _ **everything**_ _, Fitz."_

_Her bra hit the floor._

" _ **You're**_ _everything, Fitz."_

_His back hit the mattress and she shifted her panties to the side, too impatient to take them off._

" _ **I love you so much**_ _…"_

The sound of Eli's hands slamming on the desk as he stood brought Olivia back to the present and she followed him with her eyes as he began to pace near the windows. He was trying to regroup, trying to collect his thoughts so he could spew his venom and Olivia just waited patiently. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid of the power he had to wield but she wasn't afraid for herself. Her fear was for the ones who loved her most. An ego bruised and angry Rowan was an utterly merciless one. If he wanted her Grants, if he wanted her Gladiators, then he would have to go through her twice. She would protect them all to her dying breath.

"I didn't raise you to be…"

"You barely raised me. Mom did and after she died in the Crash, the boarding schools took over. You provided food, shelter, and money but overall? I raised myself. You and I both know that but you're not ready to accept that. What didn't you raise me to be, Rowan? Happy? Functional? Worthy? Just because you're content to be the lone wolf monster in the closet doesn't mean that I have to be."

"You are my daughter! You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!"

"You're half right. You fertilized the egg but Mom's the one who pushed me out and kept me alive long enough to be independent. You were always working. I wasn't a priority to you. Being Command and pulling the puppet strings of the DC elite were your priorities. They still are. I'm nothing but a bitter disappointment to you and I'm all right with that."

"I never called you a disappointment. You are putting words in my mouth, Olivia."

"I am taking the words out of your mouth and speaking them so you can't hurt me with them."

"Why do you automatically assume the worst of me?"

If she were dealing with anyone else, Olivia would feel bad about the hurt cloaking those words but she knew better. Rowan wasn't hurt. Okay, maybe he was but outweighing the hurt was confusion and the slight anger was festering into an outright rage. She was getting to him. Rowan loved to throw people off balance but when they did it to him, he turned into a schoolyard bully with fangs. Instead of telling the teacher or his parents, he was the kid who'd lie in wait for you after school and beat the hell out of you for wronging him. She was needling him.

Olivia hadn't come to here to needle him. She had shown up so he wouldn't come to her and catch her off guard. She was just being honest about their situation and if he got offended, then at least he would specifically angry at her, providing a buffer to her loved ones. He wouldn't make a hostile move on any of them until he struck first blood with her and she had no intention of letting him do that without it leading to their Mutually Assured Destruction.

She rose up from her perch and got right in his personal space, looking him dead in the eye. Her face was still calm but she knew that he could see her own rage in her eyes. Rowan may be Command but she was Olivia Pope and she had a formidable Reputation of her own despite her being the de facto First Lady.

She was functional, not ornamental.

If anyone had a real shot of ever taking Command down, it was her and they both knew it.

That was why he spent so much time tearing her down and prompting her to become her own worst enemy. Once she lost the little girl awe and the 'Daddy will always fix it and protect me' trust in him, he had started the psychological warfare. For years, she had allowed him to win but now, things were different. She had learned the Game he was playing and was now playing for keeps.

"I do so because you automatically assume the worst of _ **me**_. In your eyes, I'm naive. I'm misguided. I'm childish and colorstruck in love with a rich spoiled white manchild who is only using me for my body and for live in childcare. In your eyes, I have allowed myself to become the modern day Sally Hemmings to Fitzgerald Grant III's Thomas Jefferson and I am ruined. I am nothing but wasted potential and time. I am unable to accomplish anything useful for you or the Republic. I am lost to the point of your pitying me so you want to control my life for my own good. That's not happening. You didn't summon me here because you're concerned about me or even because you love me. You don't love anyone or anything but yourself and your own Power. You called me here to tear me down and to make me feel like I'm defective. I'm not defective. I'm not perfect but I'm not defective. I'm human and I'm  _ **happy**_. That should be enough for you but it's not and I don't care. I don't care about your approval, anymore. What I  _ **do**_  care about are my kids and my man. I adopted Gerry and Karen. They're legally mine, now. Fitz and I aren't married yet but he's as mine as I am his. I'm promising you that if any sort of harm ever comes to them, I will automatically assume the worst of you and I will personally put you down."

"And if after you do so and it comes out that I had absolutely nothing to do with hurting your precious little  _ **family**_ …what happens, then?"

"I get rid of the evidence. I burn and bury you. I cry. I throw up. I drink 2 whole bottles of wine. Fitz finds a very discreet therapist for me to work through the demons and misery that he can't fuck out of me. I move forward and keep on loving my kids as they transition fully into adulthood. I raise their younger siblings and make sure that none of them ever feel like they need to put a bullet between mine or their father's eyes. I live a full and happy life, comforted by the fact that when I eventually wake up in hell for murdering my own father, you'll be right there burning with me."


End file.
